


Roommates

by I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: (eventually lol), F/F, lapidot - Freeform, pearlamethyst - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-09-07
Packaged: 2018-07-11 00:01:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 13
Words: 67,610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7013983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity/pseuds/I_Desire_No_Mans_Pity
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lapis is a student who works part time at a coffee-shop. Her rent just got raised so Jasper, her ex, suggests taking in a roommate. Even though Lapis is still bitter about their breakup, she accepts and Peridot moves in with her. But will they get along?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> I couldn't resist doing this after watching Barn Mates. Please forgive me for the amount of sin that this is going to be.
> 
> This is a human AU with sinful scenes, so be warned.
> 
> HEY GUYS!!! For the new readers, I've edited the tags to add PearlAmethyst and DiSper to the story. This doesn't mean it's purely PearlAmethyst and or DiSper, it's a side-story to the main "Lapidot".

**Prologue**

 

The coffee shop was awfully crowded that day, probably because of the rain outside. Lapis sighed as she hastily dried three or four mugs with the rag she used for the dishes. She hated crowded days: a lot of people came in, ordering all at once, and it just generally stressed her out. She liked quiet days when she could just chill and study a little between client and client.

Lapis was balancing her part-time job at the coffee-shop alongside her morning class schedule at the university. She had to work really hard to earn money and keep her grades up, for she wanted to maintain that scholarship that had so generously been granted due to her high marks. But now her rent had suddenly gone up and she was wondering if she needed to find another job, maybe at night.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a tall muscular woman moved in front of her, shadowing her and the counter. She looked up.

“Hey stranger.”

“Hey Jasper.”

Lapis sighed and put down the mugs she had been drying.

“Can I get you anything?”

Jasper waved her away.

“Nah, I can’t stay long. I came here for business only.” She sat down at the bar and looked her straight in the eyes. Lapis raised an eyebrow.

“What.”

“I have an answer to all your prayers.” Jasper took a slip of paper out of the sports bra she was wearing, making Lapis roll her eyes.

“When will you stop entering this place in your jogging outfit?” She muttered. “It makes everyone uncomfortable.”

“It makes you uncomfortable.” Jasper grinned. “Come on, Lapis, brighten up… Open the note.”

Lapis sighed and unfolded the little piece of paper. On there was nothing but a phone number. She looked at Jasper, eyebrows raised.

“What’s this supposed to be?” She muttered.

“Her phone number.” Jasper grinned. “Your new roommate.”

“My new what?” Lapis narrowed her eyes. “Look, Jasper, I told you! I’ll find another job! I don’t need your help!” She paused as one of her colleagues dumped a large tray of wet mugs in front of her and she proceeded drying with a sour face. “You don’t need to keep helping me out of guilt.”

“It’s not even guilt anymore.” Jasper sighed. “I worry about you, Lapis, you work too much. With a roommate, you’d not only not have to take another job… you could cut your hours here and study more.”

“Jasper…” Lapis looked her in the eyes. “Please go away.”

“Just listen…” Jasper begged her. “It’s the perfect solution. You have an extra room…”

Lapis sighed and looked away.

“Yes, okay, fine, whatever makes you go away.” She turned back at her. “Who is she? Do I know her? I don’t do new people very well, you know.”

“Oh you do know her.” Something seemed suspicious about her tone.

“Jasper?” Lapis asked her, sternly.

“Over there.” Jasper turned around to look at a table where a short girl was sitting, hiding behind a huge MacBook. Lapis’ eyes widened and her expression turned to horror. It couldn’t be…

“PERIDOT?” Lapis slammed her cloth on the bar, making Jasper jump. “Are you kidding me?”

“What do you even have against her?” Jasper muttered. “It’s not like you ever talk…”

“Oh my God, she’s so annoying!” Lapis resumed drying. “I mean… she’s such a nerd and she’s always asking those stupid questions in class… as if she wants to be the teacher’s pet… God, we’re not in high school anymore…”

“Lapis…” Jasper said, surprised. “How can you speak like that about someone you don’t even know? She’s really funny …”

“I won’t do it!” Lapis hissed.

“Just look at it this way.” Jasper growled. “Either she moves in with you or you move back in with me.”

“The wacky class nerd or my ex. What a choice.” Lapis mumbled, banging the mugs really loudly.

“Lapis…” Jasper said, with a much calmer tone. “I think you should talk to her. It would be much easier for you.”

They stayed in silence for a while, Lapis rubbing the dishes aggressively and Jasper meditating, her face in her hands. It wasn’t until a few minutes later that the thin blue haired girl gritted her teeth and put the cloth down.

“Fine, I’ll do it.” She muttered. “I’m almost done with my shift anyway.” She untied her apron and threw it at Jasper, jumping neatly over the bar. She headed towards Peridot, whose short blond hair could just be made out from behind her computer, and cleared her throat. The short girl looked up, her eyes widening behind her glasses, and she stared at Lapis as if she had never seen anything like her before: She was tall and thin, her shoulder-length hair blue, with dark brown roots at the top, and her eyes were quite bright. Peridot gulped, and her blood started rushing towards her cheeks. She was feeling extremely shy.

“Oy.” Lapis greeted her with a head movement. “Jasper says you’re looking for a roommate.”

Peridot choked on the Frappuccino she had been drinking and turned purple in the attempt of controlling her coughing. In the end, with tears in her eyes and a much happier expression than you would expect of someone who was choking, she nodded, smiling brightly. Lapis was surprised. She had not seen that little nerd show emotions before. Not genuine people-related emotions anyway.

“So… Do you want the room?” She asked, staring as Peridot attempted to clean up the mess with a paper napkin.

“Yes. I’m in urgent need of a room right now.” The small girl gave her a confident smile. “My landlord suddenly needed his house back.”

Lapis raised her hand.

“I don’t need your story.” She muttered. “201 Rock Lane, apartment 4b.” And with that, she turned around and left.

Peridot turned to Jasper, who had crept up from behind.

“Is she… alright with it?” She stammered. Jasper smiled.

“If she weren’t, she wouldn’t have come over.” She reassured Peridot. “You have your stuff ready, right? I’ll help you bring it over tonight.”

Peridot sighed.

“Jasper… how did you know she’d say yes? I mean… We don’t even know each other, we hang out with different people, she usually sleeps in class…”

Jasper laughed.

“Because she was desperate. Give her the choice between getting a roommate or moving back in with me… and she’ll choose the roommate… every single time.”

Peridot frowned, packing up her laptop and fastening her coat, ready to leave.

“What did you do to her?” She asked, as they left the café.

Jasper stared at the crowded streets and colorful umbrellas passing by, as the rain dripped slightly across her face.

“I’ll tell you some other time.” She said, sadly. “Now, let’s go get your stuff!”

 

 


	2. Bathroom Schedule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot and Lapis struggle getting used to each other.
> 
> (I think the prologue is actually chapter one, so this will be announced as chapter two)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your interest in the story! I'm happy many of you liked it ^^

**Chapter One**

**Bathroom Schedule**

 

It had been a tedious couple of hours.

Peridot and Jasper had pulled all of the small girl’s belongings across the slippery streets in the rain, dodging the large quantity of humans that came from all directions, trying to escape the heavy rain. After taking an overcrowded subway till what seemed the end of the line, they had arrived at a dark-looking station with no roof and no escalators. Jasper had carried all of Peridot’s suitcases up the endless stairs, while the later had whimpered all the way up, clinging to the railing.

“You are such a little B, Peridot.” Jasper grinned, leaving the suitcases at the top and helping the small girl with the last few steps. “Come on, how long have you had that prosthetic leg now? Two? Three years?”

“Is that how you treat a handicapped girl?” Peridot let go of Jasper’s hand, panting. “I mean… Wow, thanks.”

Jasper was one of the few people who knew about Peridot’s accident, a few years ago. The doctors had not been able to save her left leg, and Peridot had been forced to adapt to those new circumstances ever since. She had never been a sporty girl, but after that, physical activity had been reduced to a minimum and she had locked herself away in her own shell, studying extra hard and becoming one of the top students at her high school. It wasn’t until university that she was able to open herself up to people again, and that was all thanks to Jasper, who had discovered her kind and funny nature playing with her in an online game. She didn’t hang out much, though, as Jasper spent most of her time on the street with her gang of friends or working out at the gym. But the tall muscular girl did care about her little friend and made time for her once in a while.

It wasn’t much of a surprise that Peridot didn’t know Lapis very well. Jasper had started going out with her at the end of freshman year and Peridot had never joined any of their motorbike escapades. When Jasper had informed her about their relationship, only one thought had crossed Peridot’s mind: _Of course._

Why wouldn’t two beautiful girls end up together? 

Jasper had always been quite popular in class and Peridot felt lucky to have her as a friend, for she was loyal and supportive. She did get to see her less when Lapis appeared, but Peridot didn’t mind. She had been happy for her friend.

But when they broke up, Jasper refused to give out any details and avoided all of Peridot’s questions with a frozen smile. Even now, seven months after their breakup, Jasper still wouldn’t tell.

As they stood silently on the upper part of the platform that led to the street, Peridot stared at Jasper, who had just called her a _little B_. She didn’t mind at all. Of the few people who knew, Jasper was the only one who had been able to normalize the situation and not make her feel as if she was a poor helpless invalid all the time. Jasper was one of the few people who treated her as if it wasn’t a big deal. And it made her happy.

“Well, the flat’s that way…” Jasper pointed west, to a group of tall brick buildings with fire escapes at the front. “It’s a lovely neighborhood, as you can see… Right in the outskirts of town…” A car alarm went off suddenly, making Peridot jump. “Only forty minutes away from the centre, by subway…” Peridot jumped again as the iron gate of the station slammed shut behind them. “…which doesn’t run all night, but hey, what do you want, it’s pretty quiet here, that’s good, right?” Jasper hadn’t even finished talking when a noisy group of drunken kinds walked by, smashing empty bottles right and left, all the while chanting some kind of football hymn. Peridot shuddered and Jasper sighed.

“Look, ok, it’s not the best place…” She confessed. “But during daytime, nothing ever happens, and the view is quite lovely from some of the terraces. You should visit the roof sometime with Lapis, and watch the sun come up. It’s priceless.”

Peridot looked at her, as they pulled her belongings across the street towards the brick flats with the fire escapes.

“Do you still… you know…” The small girl looked away. “…love her?”

“It’s that one.” Jasper ignored her and pointed at the first flat. “201 Rock Lane. 4b and no elevator.”

“Hey, why do you always avoid the subject?” Peridot protested.

“Either you stop asking questions or I leave you here with all your stuff.” Jasper growled. “Your choice.”

Peridot nodded, frightened, and followed the tall girl towards the first flat. The door was open, so they got through without having to buzz. Peridot heaved a deep sigh when she saw the amount of stairs.

“Why did I let myself be convinced?” She wailed. “Jasper, you’re so pushy…”

“Oh, I’m sure it had nothing to do with Lapis staring at you with her big blue eyes and asking if you wanted a room…” Jasper chuckled, heaving Peridot’s suitcases on her shoulders and starting to climb up the steps. The small girl made an indignant spluttering noise.

“That’s… not it!” She pulled the suitcases she was carrying behind her, trying to cope with the stairs. “You have it all wrong!”

“Whatever.” Jasper walked up steadily. “Comb your hair, we’re almost there.”

“I’ve told you ages ago… that rhyme just isn’t funny.”

With a sigh form Jasper and loud puffing noises from Peridot, they finally arrived at the fourth floor and dropped the suitcases on the ground with a loud bang. Jasper moved in front of the door and knocked on it, obviously knowing that the bell hadn’t worked in ages. Peridot stood next to her, motionless, waiting for Lapis to answer.

With a short click of the lock, the door swung open and Peridot peeked in. It was a handsome corridor, with a couple of doors right and left and a tall living room with a kitchen at the end of it. She smiled and pulled her small suitcase in, as Jasper carried the rest of her things behind her. A sullen Lapis pointed her towards one of the doors.

“That’s your… eh… room.” She turned around towards the living room and disappeared somewhere around the corner. Peridot sighed and opened the door, allowing her and Jasper to go in.

It was small, but rather cozy, and it had a single window that opened to a small lightwell. They put their things down and Peridot sat down on the bed, looking happy.

“I’m glad I’m here.” She told Jasper. “My landlord was about to kick me out for real now… I guess he really needed his house back.” She paused. “Is… Lapis really ok with this? She seemed… angry.

“She’s always angry. But at least she won’t have to leave now.” Jasper grinned. “Where is that girl? Lapis! OY LAPIS!”

“What.”

Jasper and Peridot headed towards the living room, which was cozy and warm, and it had one huge window that led to the street. All of the furniture was made of pinewood and the sofa, the armchairs and the cushions were white and blue. Peridot liked those colors, they somehow reminded her of a summer spent at the Mediterranean coast, many years ago. She smiled at Lapis, who was sipping some ice-tea that she had just fished out of the fridge. She was wearing sweat pants and a crop top that said: Humans Suck. Peridot was amazed at how good it looked on her. That girl could probably wear a garbage bag and still look good.

“Thank you so much for letting me stay.” She said, brightly. “This is a lovely apartment.”

“S’long you pay the rent.” Lapis mumbled grimly and left the glass in the sink.

“Oh, Lap.” Jasper walked over and gave her a small hug. “Cheer up and offer your roommate something to drink, okay?” She gently drew Lapis’ blue bangs out of her eyes with her hand, somehow putting the girl at ease. Peridot looked away, embarrassed, feeling she was intruding into something really intimate.

Lapis moved away from Jasper and looked at the small blonde girl.

“Ice-tea?” She muttered.

“Eh… sure.” Peridot smiled a little, and in a minute, Lapis had handed her a tall cold glass which she sipped up eagerly.

“Okay.” Jasper pulled her leather jacket on. “I’m leaving so that you can take a chance to get to know each other. I will see you in class!” She patted Peridot on the back and stroked Lapis on the cheek. “Behave.” She muttered to the later.

Peridot shot her a panicky look, having not yet developed a defense mechanism to the thought of being left alone with Lapis. But Jasper seemed to have no intention of staying there longer than she had to, and as the door closed behind her, Lapis and Peridot stood awkwardly in the living room, facing each other.

“Well.” Lapis mumbled.

“Well.” Peridot added.

It was strange. It was awkward. It was just…

Lapis walked towards Peridot, took away her empty glass and put it in the sink next to her own.

“I always shower at night.” She muttered.

“That’s okay… I always shower in the morning.” Peridot muttered.

“I sleep a lot.”

“I pull all-nighters.”

“Then you probably won’t bug me in the morning. That’s good. I hate it when people wake me up. ”

“That’s good, then… Right? ” Peridot gave her a little smile which Lapis crushed with an icy stare.

After a couple of minutes, they both headed towards their own room and closed the door behind them. Peridot sighed. This was going to take some getting used to.

 

                                     *                *                *

 

Jasper felt drops of sweat slide down her temples as she clicked the mouse feverently. Her online squad was attempting to kill off a huge creature, one of the leaders, and it was proving to be very difficult indeed.

“Miss me?” Their mystical healer had finally logged on and Jasper heaved a sigh of relief.

“Peridot! I thought Lapis had strangled you, or something!” She sent half a dozen fire arrows flying towards the creature. “Quick, I need you to heal me!”

Peridot, who had logged in on her laptop in her new room, adjusted her microphone and headset.

“Here you go.” She cast a healing spell over Jasper’s online character. “And Lapis didn’t try to kill me… We just had a really awkward dinner… You should have been there.” She threw a freezing spell at the creature, who destroyed it with its wings. Peridot sighed.

“What, and make it more awkward?” Jasper chuckled. “No thanks.”

“Hey you two!” One of their squad cried out. It was Amethyst,  she was in one or two of their classes at the university. “Quit talking about girls and help us destroy this bigass bird thingy!”

“Amethyst, language!” They heard a high clear voice shout and the whole squad burst into giggles.

“Pearl! Quit embarrassing me in front of my friends! This is an online game, you know!” Amethyst cried back.

The online team went into fits of laughter as Amethyst started bickering with her roommate over the skype group chat. Peridot smiled as they logged out for the night, glad that at least something felt normal in her new surroundings. But as she switched off her computer, she realized that the house felt really strange, that she was miles away from her old apartment and that the only person near was none other than Lapis Lazuli, the girl that had always ignored her except to give her a couple of disgusted looks now and again. Peridot sighed. She wondered what that tall beauty had against her.

It wasn’t until a few minutes later that she realized she had to use the bathroom, and she reluctantly climbed out of bed. For some reason, she couldn’t find her glasses, groping around in the dark, and she wasn’t familiar with the light switch yet. Peridot moved towards the door blindly, muttering along the way, and headed into the corridor, trying to find the bathroom.

“Was it the room closest to the hall? Or closest to the living room?” Peridot couldn’t see a thing. “I think it was the living room… but where is the living room?” She slid her hands alongside the walls, trying to find a door, any door. Finally, her hands enclosed around a handle and she entered the bathroom.

Except, it wasn’t the bathroom. Once she had found the light switch, she squinted and could just make out Lapis’ thin figure sitting up bold in bed.

“What are you doing here.” She muttered in her stone cold voice.

“Oh Gosh… I’m so sorry… I was trying to find the bathroom.” Peridot bit her lip. Lapis stood up and walked towards her, becoming less blurry in every step she took. She was only wearing her panties and a dark crop top, showing off a slightly sharp abdomen and long beautiful legs. Her hair was a little ruffled from the covers and her eyes shone bright. Peridot felt her heart flutter.

“Oh… Gosh…” Lapis hissed. “It’s not here.”

Peridot snapped out of her trance and hopped out of the bedroom, falling over and landing in the corridor on her butt. She stared up at Lapis’ beautiful figure, who closed the door behind her with a slam. The small girl sighed. The living room had been the other way after all…

 

*                   *                    *

 

Peridot rummaged through her suitcases, her eyelids heavy with sleep. She couldn’t help but wonder where she had packed her panties. She finally found a couple in a bag which were actually clean and put them on the bed, beside the clothes she had organized for that day and a fluffy green towel she was going to use for her morning shower. After having collected everything she needed, Peridot tiptoed out of her room, trying not to wake Lapis as requested, and crept along the hallway towards the bathroom. This time, she could actually make out where the right door was, for the days were getting lighter and even though it was early, sunlight was already shining into the living room. It looked really nice and bright, Peridot thought.

She entered the bathroom and carefully placed her things on a small stool that stood there. It was big and spacy in there, and it even had a tub. Peridot had only had a shower at her old apartment, so she felt happy. It would be fun to soak in there once in a while!

She walked over to the big mirror that hung above the faucet and stared at her reflection. Her blond hair looked quite messy and her lips were a little cracked. She sighed and applied some chapstick, wondering why that was always happening.

Peridot turned to the tub and studied the knobs. It was a really old apartment, so the colors were faded and she had no idea which one was hot and which one was cold.

“Here goes nothing.” Peridot turned one and held her hand under it. It was freezing. Even after what seemed an age, it was still freezing. She shuddered and opened the other, but the temperature didn’t change. Reluctantly, she walked into the hall and knocked softly on Lapis’ door.

There wasn’t any answer and Peridot started wondering if it would be a total drama, not showering that day. But her hair was starting to get greasy and it did help her wake up in the mornings, so she insisted. Moments later, the door was opened by a very disgruntled looking Lapis. She stared at Peridot, eyes narrowed, and a big scowl on her face. The small girl took a step back.

“Um… the water won’t get hot…” She whispered.

Lapis sighed deeply and without a word, moved towards a cabinet in the hallway and pulled out a screwdriver. Then, she went over to the small balcony at the front and started opening what looked like a small boiler. Peridot drew closer and saw that she was actually restarting the flame that had been blown out. After doing so, she screwed the lid shut again and walked back to her bedroom.

“It’s hot now.” She muttered, slamming the door behind her.

“Th… thank you!” Peridot felt her knees weaken. She loved how Lapis pronounced the word ‘hot’.

She went back to the bathroom and was able to take a shower and even wash her hair, for the water was a lovely temperature. She only squirmed once, as Lapis got up and opened the faucet in the kitchen, causing the water to freeze again. But that only lasted half a minute and after a short while, Peridot was out of the shower, squeaky clean, ready to dry her hair and get ready for the day. When she finally emerged out of the bathroom, Lapis went in.

“You took your time.” She muttered.

“I… I thought you said that you showered at night…” Peridot went red.

Lapis looked at her as if she were stupid.

“Yeah… because showering is the only thing I do in the bathroom.”

Peridot went even redder and looked away, as the door slammed once again in her face. Why couldn’t she stop acting like a clod in front of Lapis?

The small girl moved towards the kitchen and took a glass of water from the tap, thinking about breakfast. Peridot usually ate a lot in the morning, but she hadn’t bought any food for the apartment yet. She sighed. She’d have to buy something at the university cafeteria.

 

*                   *                    *

Lapis stared at her reflection in the mirror as she contoured her eyes with her favorite black eyeliner. She had mastered the technique quite well after all those years using it and she liked how she looked. It was hot and menacing at the same time.

After returning to her room, she pulled on some jeans and her favourite grey crop top. She picked up her bag, hunted for her short brown boots and took her short black leather jacket from the holder beside the door. Peridot was already waiting there, fully prepared, and the tall girl sighed.

“What, you can’t leave without me?”

“I’m sorry… I don’t really know the way to the subway yet.”

Lapis sighed and opened the door, letting Peridot out first and then shutting it behind them, locking up.  They climbed down the stairs, one much slower than the other.

“If you can’t keep up, I will leave you behind.” Lapis cried, from the entrance hall. Peridot grimaced, hopping down as fast as she could. She realized Lapis had no idea about her prosthetic leg, although she felt pretty sure the blue haired girl wouldn’t slow down if she knew.

They hurried along the street, which was covered in puddles from yesterday’s rain, and arrived at the subway station in no time. Once their train arrived, they were able to sit, as it was almost the end of the line, and Lapis closed her eyes after stuffing some earphones in her ears. Peridot sighed and checked her phone. It was going to be a long silent ride.

They arrived at the university right on time and they parted ways at the door of their classroom. Peridot moved to her usual seat at the front, while Lapis slumped down somewhere at the back. Jasper, who was sitting in the middle with her gang, winked at Peridot and then turned around to greet Lapis, who didn’t wave back. Peridot witnessed the little scene and couldn’t help but feeling a little sad. How much was Lapis really hurting inside?

But her thoughts were soon pushed away by their economy teacher, who walked in and started pulling out various graphs. Peridot switched on her computer with a sigh. She would have to review today’s lesson in depth.

 

*                   *                    *

Lapis didn’t wait for Peridot on the way home, but it didn’t matter, for the later liked spending a couple of hours studying at the library or some place else. Jasper had also told her that Lapis worked for a couple of hours at the café every day, so going home together was difficult.

Jasper did wait for the small girl that day and ruffled her hair when she found her in the library, poring over that day’s lesson.

“Hey Peri.” She sat down next to her. Half the library looked up, annoyed.

“Shhh.” Peridot covered Jasper’s mouth. “How many times do I have to tell you? You can’t raise your voice here!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jasper fumbled with her mp3 player and turned it off. She had just come in from jogging and was still wearing the outfit, revealing her large tattooed biceps and toned stomach.

“Why do you enter places like cafés and libraries dressed like that?” Peridot sighed, closing her laptop. “Do you want to seduce nerds and hipsters?”

“Always.” Jasper bit her lip and they both laughed, earning a very stern look from one of the staff.

“We’d better go.” Peridot said. “You’ve disrupted the peace. And I need to get home before dark, or I’ll be terrified in those hoods.”

“You’re such a little b…”

The two of them scurried out of the library and headed out on the crowded streets. They started walking towards the subway, still laughing.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Jasper smiled, in front of the steps. “I’m going to the café.”

“Do you go there… like every day?” Peridot smiled.

“It’s on my jogging path.” Jasper grinned. “Lapis gave you an extra key, right?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Go on, then, it’s getting dark.”

Peridot sighed and ran down the steps to catch the train. Jasper grinned and jogged away, wondering if she would actually order something today.

 

*                   *                    *

Peridot stared at the soup she had just made, rather proudly. She had discovered a grocery store just behind the block and she had bought fresh vegetables and a couple of tinned goods. It was getting late, so she decided to eat without waiting for Lapis, assuming the girl would want her food at all. Peridot switched on the TV and watched a goofy reality show while eating. It was funny and it made her loosen up a little and forget about certain stressful events.

Lapis arrived home shortly after, but – just as Peridot had imagined – refused to eat any soup. She barely had any food of her own left, so she made some cocoa and ate a couple of biscuits, huddled under a blanket on the sofa. Peridot stared, as she did the dishes and poured what was left of the soup in various tuppers. Did Lapis even care about proper nourishment?

After a while, the blue haired girl stood up, yawned and stretched, and then moved towards the bathroom, flinging her clothes across the corridor into her room. Peridot heard the shower running and turned the faucet off, not wanting to bother her. She moved along the corridor to her own room but froze.

The bathroom door was slightly ajar and she could clearly see Lapis’ reflection in the mirror. Peridot turned bright red and ran into her room, slamming the door shut. Why on Earth would anyone shower with the door open?

Lapis got out of the tub and wrapped herself in a towel, staring at the corridor. She realized she had been living alone for so long now that she wasn’t quite used to a roommate just yet and that things like pants and closed doors actually mattered now. She had seen Peridot freeze outside her door and wondered if the little nerd found her attractive. That would be tedious, but at least it would be easier to boss her around. For the first time in days, Lapis’s lips twitched into a little smile. The irony of it all!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Nightbird Lapis
> 
> Lapis takes advantage of the situation when she discovers that Peridot feels attracted to her. Jasper worries about both her friends.


	3. Night Bird Lapis

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot suffers an embarrassing incident and Lapis broods about her present situation. Jasper tries to bring them closer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> H2oh my Gosh, everyone's been leaving such nice comments! I'm really happy you like the story so far. I was going to do a one-shot, but in the end I decided on chapters and I'm really happy I did. Thank you for being awesome readers ^^
> 
> It's also great to see some Jasper love. I really adore her and I'm hoping for a redemption arc.

**Chapter Two**

**Night Bird Lapis**

 

_She was laying on her back, laughing, her blue hair sprawled over the cushion and her body still wet from the shower. Her chest was heaving from the laughter and she had the prettiest twinkle in her eye. “Come closer.” She said, in a crystal-clear melodic voice._

 

Peridot sat straight up in bed, drops of sweat falling down her face. She drew a hand to her mouth, cheeks still burning and looked around, as if she was expecting an audience ogling at her after witnessing the amount of sin she had just dreamt about.

“Crud.” She hissed, as the scene reappeared and she tried to vent it out of her brain. This was not the kind of thing she should be thinking about at a time like this… in fact… Peridot shuddered: was there ever a right time to dream something like that?

She checked the time on her phone and saw that her alarm-clock was set to ring in ten minutes. For the first time ever, she felt grateful it was like that. What if she fell asleep again and the dream came back?

The small girl perched her glasses on her nose and shoved her feet into her slippers, ready to gather clothes here and there. Her room was starting to look a bit messy and she made a mental note to clean it that weekend, although she was pretty sure that she would just procrastinate until it was no longer possible to open the door. She sighed: it was really hard to keep a room tidy when there was always something better to do.

Peridot whisked through the corridor in the small green shorts and perky T-shirt she used as pajamas and dumped the clothes she had chosen for that day in the bathroom, blushing as she remembered Lapis’ showering the night before… And her dream. She slapped herself as the memory came back and quickly closed the door behind her, turning red in the face.

“Crud.” She repeated. This was certainly not the time to have a crush.

Peridot got into the shower and proceeded with her usual morning routine. But once she started dressing, she discovered something was missing.

“Where the hell are my underpants?” She muttered, and felt her chest go cold. Had she dropped them somewhere along the way? Peridot started checking every inch of the bathroom, panic-stricken. What if they were in the corridor? She opened the door cautiously and peeked outside, hoping Lapis wasn’t there.

“I probably just left them back in my room.” She said, sighing with relief. “Oh well.” Still wearing her towel, she fixed her hair a little and then quickly abandoned the bathroom, checking right and left for any signs of Lapis. But her door was closed, so she assumed the blue haired girl was still asleep. Peridot ran back to her own room and looked for her panties there, but had no luck finding them either. She sighed.

“Did I even get them in the first place?” She thought. “Maybe I never even took them out of the drawer today…” She shrugged and proceeded dressing, relieved it hadn’t amounted to more. Somehow the idea of leaving unguarded panties laying around terrified her on levels she couldn’t understand. Maybe that terror came from the fact that half the underpants she owned had The Lion King prints on them.

Peridot, now fully dressed, walked towards the living room and happily started preparing breakfast for herself, humming as she combined her new pack of Golden Grahams with some Choco-Crisp leftovers.

“Ew.” Came a voice behind her and Peridot jumped, spilling cereals everywhere. She turned around to see Lapis sitting on the couch, a mug of tea in her hands and one leg neatly crossed over the other. She was barefoot, and the small girl noticed that her feet were very well-carved, not unlike a ballerina’s.

“Ehurh.” Peridot made an unrecognizable noise and started scooping up the mess she had made everywhere.

“Mixing cereal… Nasty.” Lapis kept looking at her, one eyebrow raised, making her gaze seem arrogant and ironic.

“How… how long have you been there?” Peridot squeaked, and immediately wished she hadn’t. Her shaky voice reminded her of an anime yandere.

“Longer than you would have wished me to be.” Lapis narrowed her eyes an held something up. “Why was this in the corridor?”

Peridot went white as she saw her missing panties in Lapis’ hand.

 

*                   *                    *

“Jasper… I can’t do this! I swear I can’t do this!” Peridot slammed her face into her palms while walking and almost tripped over a soda can. She whimpered.

“Get a grip already. So she found your underpants...” Jasper walked briskly beside her, as they headed towards the printing-shop on campus. Their history teacher had left them some copies which they needed to pick up. “It’s not a big deal. It’s Lapis, it’s not like she’s gonna post five hundred pictures with them on Instagram…” Jasper frowned. “I don’t even think she has an Instagram…”

“Jasper, you don’t understand.” Peridot lowered her voice as a group of students walked past them. “It’s really embarrassing… I have to live with her.”

“It’s just underpants, Peridot.” Jasper rolled her eyes.

“Oh sure! Coming from the person who walks around in her sports-bra most of the day, someone finding your underpants must seem pretty unimportant!” Peridot pushed open the heavy door of the print-shop. “Worst. Day. Ever.”

Jasper laughed, holding the door open for the people who came in behind her.

“You’re already talking like her! That’s one of her favorite phrases!” She smiled. “Oh Peri, lighten up! She’s just trying to intimidate you, like an older cat when a kitty moves in… It’s fine.”

“How can you say it’s fine?” Peridot whispered, putting on a painful face. “You have no idea, Jasper… more things have happened…”

Jasper raised an eyebrow, but at that moment, the attendant called them and they had to order their copies. They payed for them and once they were done, they left the shop together. The tall girl placed a hand on Peridot’s neck as they walked and looked at her sternly.

“What has happened?”

“Nothing… Just… She was showering and the door was open…” Peridot tried to get away from the right grip, but Jasper just held on more firmly.

“Peridot? What happened?” She seemed mad. Peridot trembled a little.

“Nothing… just that… she was showering with the door open.”

Jasper relaxed her grip on the small girl and heaved a sigh of relief. Peridot massaged her neck, in discomfort and drew away from the tall girl.

“Jeez.” She muttered.

“Sorry…” Jasper looked extremely guilty. “It’s just… I don’t want Lapis to behave badly.” She stopped and looked into Peridot’s eyes. “If she ever tries to make a move on you, run away and come and get me.”

Peridot stared at her for a while and then burst out laughing.

“Make a move? On Me?” She crouched down in the middle of the campus street and started guffawing. “Are you kidding?”

Jasper pulled her up.

“Actually, I’m not.” She said, a sudden sadness in her voice. “Peridot, listen to me. Lapis is under a lot of stress right now, but she’s not the kind to vent it out on a healthy way… She has been hurt emotionally and everything she sees has a dark tint to it, even a cute friendly clod like you.” Peridot frowned. “She will definitely try to pull some shit on you and you have got to be ready.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” The small girl frowned and crossed her arms.

“I think you do…” Jasper sighed. “She might try to seduce you in order to channel her emotions elsewhere… She’s not the sharing type, you know, she may just try and find other ways to make up for what she’s lost…”

Peridot mumbled a little as she kicked a stone on their way back to the main building.

“And by _lost_ you mean _you_?” She asked, making Jasper go red.

“In some way…” The tall girl sighed again. “It was hard.” She looked at Peridot. “But we’re not talking about me, now. I just want you to be careful… Lapis can be a pain sometimes.”

Peridot sighed as they entered the main building and headed towards the vending machines. They were at the end of the long corridor, next to a drinking fountain and quite a few students were standing waiting to fill their water bottles. She and Jasper moved alongside them and stopped in front of the vending machines. Peridot took out some change and studied the goodies on display with great attention.

“Jesus Christ, Peridot.” Jasper muttered under her breath. “Don’t tell me you can’t decide between fat and heart disease again…”

“Hey, I can eat what I want.” Peridot squinted, pressing her nose against the glass. “I mean… It’s not like you can get anything else in these machines…”

“What about those fiber crackers?”

“Ew.”

“Or those baby carrots…”

“Jasper, stop it!” Peridot protested. “I need some sugar, okay?” She pressed a few buttons and put her coins in. A large chocolate croissant landed neatly at the bottom, all packed up in its little plastic bag. “Aww yiss.”

Jasper smiled a little and sighed.

“Priceless.” Came a dark voice behind them, and they both spun around. Lapis stood there, tossing a coin up and down in one hand, the other perched neatly on her hip. She was wearing her short dark leather jacket again, and a smaller than ever blue crop top. Sleek black leggings showed off the shape of her long legs. Both Peridot and Jasper felt the need to stare and took a while to react. In the end, Jasper smiled and walked over to Lapis, ruffling her hair.

“Afternoon, Lap. We were just buying some food… that is… Peri was buying some carb loaded transgenic thing…”

Lapis seemed unimpressed and moved towards the machine. She slammed some change into it and a medium bag of Doritos fell off the rack. She picked it up and started munching, making Jasper sigh again.

“First Peridot, and now you… Is this really your lunch?”

Lapis shrugged.

“The sandwich place is too far away.” She said. “I don’t like walking.”

“Correction: you don’t like moving. And neither does Peridot.” Jasper frowned at them both. “You two will be the perfect roommates.”

Peridot went red and walked towards the drinking fountain, trying to escape, but Lapis had already come up with an answer.

“I don’t care what she does, as long as she leaves me alone.”

The small girl sighed internally as she gulped up from the stream. Lapis really didn’t give a rat about her, or so it seemed.

“Oh Lapis…” Jasper took her by the shoulders and grinned. “Don’t be too hard on my Peri, okay? She needs people to be nice to her or she gets sad. Think of her as a puppy…”

Peridot looked up, slightly offended.

“Hey!” She exclaimed, indignant. Jasper laughed.

“Kidding! But I mean it, Lapis. No monkey business.” She frowned at her and Lapis broke lose, muttering.

“Whatever.” The blue-haired girl quickly stuffed a Dorito in Jasper’s mouth, who took a step backwards, surprised. “Here, enjoy your carb.” And she walked away with a slight strut. Jasper swallowed the Dorito reluctantly and turned around so that Peridot wouldn’t see her brush.

“Keep it together.” She frowned.

The two of them left for the subway shortly after, as there were no late classes that day. Peridot started hunting for her ticket as they drew near the stairs and then stared at Jasper, puzzled.

“Aren’t you supposed to jog?”

“Nah.” Jasper stretched a little. “I’ll go later… I just want to go home and relax now… and maybe binge watch Camp Pining Hearts.”

“Will you stop teasing me about that!” Peridot exclaimed.

It had been a standard joke between their online group of friends that Peridot was completely obsessed with those series. She had made everyone watch all the seasons and  they had ended up abhorring them, which was inevitable. Peridot did tend to shove things down people’s necks when she really enjoyed them.

Jasper thrusted her hand into her sports bra and pulled out her ticket, with a smile. After going through the gates, they both headed down to the platform and waited for their train.

“Lapis has the day off today.” The tall girl mumbled, as they sat down. “Why don’t you try some bonding?”

Peridot laughed.

“Yeah, I can totally imagine us _bonding_ : Hey Lapis, did you like my underpants? Do you like The Lion King? Is Scar your favorite character too?”

Jasper snorted.

“Oh honestly, Peridot. I don’t think she even remembers this morning’s incident. Why don’t you suggest watching a movie on TV?”

Peridot shrugged.

“Yeah, okay, maybe.”

They sat in silence as their train arrived and then they got on, happy to see that there were a few empty seats. Jasper got out after a few stops and Peridot sighed, knowing she still had a long way to go. Lapis really did live in the outskirts…

 

*                   *                    *

When Peridot opened the apartment door that afternoon, she found Lapis deep asleep on the sofa in the living room, still wearing her outfit. She was laying on her stomach while hugging one of the pillows with both arms. Peridot stared at her slim face, perched sideways on the pillow and thought she looked really nice and peaceful. Maybe her dreams were actually a better place than real life. The small girl smiled and sat down in the armchair in front of her, observing her every feature. Lapis’ body was sprawled over the couch elegantly, showing all of her curves. Peridot followed the shape of her lower back with her eyes, almost in a trance… if someone could complete her personal canons of perfection, it was probably Lapis.

“What are you doing?” Peridot jumped, sliding out of the armchair onto the floor. She looked up, terrified, as Lapis slowly turned around, facing her. She looked more surprised than angry, though.

“I… I… I was just…” Peridot squeaked. What could she say? _I was just looking at your perfect butt_?

“Never mind.” Lapis assumed a sitting position and stared at Peridot, on the floor. “Did you go to history today?”

The small girl looked back at her, surprised.

“Yeah, yeah I did…”

“Good.” Lapis held out her hand. “Let me see your notes.”

“S… sure.” Peridot got up in a second and went for her bag, as Lapis sat smiling smugly on the sofa. Oh the perks of a casual crush….

The small girl was back in a jivvy, with her laptop.

“I always write my notes in a word document.” She said, brightly. “I can email them to you right now, if you want.”

Lapis crossed her legs on the sofa and, for the first time in those days, gave Peridot a little smile.

“I do, I do want that.” She grabbed Peridot’s arm and took one of the pens that were lying around on the table, unscrewing the top with her mouth and then proceeding to write something on the girl’s wrist. “My email.” She said, and then lay back down on the couch, her arms under her head. “Thanks.”

“Yeah… no problem.” Peridot had the impression that her legs had turned into jello and she slumped back into the armchair in front of the couch, switching on her laptop. She looked at her wrist, where Lapis had written her email in an elegant slanty handwriting and wondered what everyone’s reaction would be if she’d never wash her arm again… But she shook that idea out of her head quickly and went on to send the document to Lapis.

“Done.” She said afterwards. Lapis looked up and sent her another small smile, along with a lazy thumbs up. Peridot felt her heart beat fast. Lapis wasn’t acting half as jerky as usual, and she felt really happy about it. She wondered if she should follow Jasper’s advice and try to bond a little.

“Lapis…?”

“What.”

“Never mind.” Peridot got up and locked herself in her room. Of course bonding was out of the question, Lapis would never want to hang out with someone like her. Not while she was pining over Jasper.

 

*                   *                    *

Lapis tossed and turned around in bed, not being able to sleep. She groaned and kicked her blankets off the bed, but that didn’t seem to help her much, for it wasn’t the heat that was bothering her… she just wasn’t tired, so she decided to get up and take a little stroll.

She pulled on some sweatpants and her favorite jacket, and she walked over to the balcony, which led to the fire escape. She climbed up the rough iron steps and perched herself on the building’s roof, watching the dark silent outskirts stretching in front of her. Jasper had always told her that she was like a little bird, who liked to sit on ledges and stare at the world below her as it moved by. How many times had they cuddled on that rooftop together? Lapis didn’t know, but she closed her eyes and tried to revive that memory, wishing, wanting everything to come back. She was so alone; if only there were a way for the pain to stop. Lapis buried her head in her arms and groaned. Her sadness let to anger, her anger led to misery… and there wasn’t even a place to go, everything just stayed trapped into that vicious cycle. And now it was even harder, because she couldn’t even be sad in private anymore.

Peridot wasn’t that bad… she did everything a proper roommate would do: she always took out the trash, never made a mess outside her room and washed the dishes without any delay. Lapis hadn’t even found any hairs in the sink or clothes on the bathroom floor… except the underpants, but she was pretty sure that had been an accident, judging Peridot’s face. Lapis couldn’t help but smiling at the thought of it. She must have been so embarrassed…

“Stupid little nerd.” Lapis whispered into the night. She had always been annoyed by her in class, she had never attempted to get closer to her, even though she was one of Jasper’s friends. It was all too ironical that she was living with her now, after all the scornful looks she had received from her. Lapis sighed. Peridot really wasn’t that bad as she had pictured her, but she still found the idea of having a roommate annoying.

Suddenly, she heard the balcony door creak and she looked down, frowning. Peridot was on the balcony, taking a call… of course… that nerd stayed up really late.

“… nah, that didn’t happen.” She was saying. “And it’s not like I don’t try, really…”

Lapis raised an eyebrow. She knew it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she couldn’t care less about the conversation anyway and she didn’t want Peridot to know she was up there, so she lay down on her back and listened.

“Look, Jasper!” Lapis’ heart skipped a beat. “I can’t force her to be nice to me and neither can you! She obviously has a lot of unresolved issues of which I’ll never be a part of, and I don’t intend to try, because it’s her privacy, and therefore not my business.” Lapis drew closer to the edge. “All I know is that she reluctantly accepted me as a roommate, so I’m grateful for that. That’s all I need. She can hate me if she wants to, I’m not going to judge… I’d probably hate me to if I were Lapis Lazuli.”

The blue-haired girl sat motionless on the roof as Peridot said her goodbyes to Jasper and went back inside. Somehow, she felt as if one of the invisible chains pinning her body down had been slightly loosened.

Peridot – naive, virginal, nerdy Peridot who had only lived with her for two days – already understood her better than Jasper.

A few minutes later, Lapis climbed back down and entered the living room, walking slowly towards the corridor. All the lights were out, except the one in the bathroom, and the door swung open just as she was passing. A sleepy Peridot bumped into her and then fell on the floor in front of her, rubbing her head painfully.

“Ouch.” She whimpered. Then, she looked up. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry!”

Lapis walked towards her room. As she crossed the threshold, she turned around and stared at Peridot.

“Goodnight.”

The small girl, still on the floor, felt her face muscles hurt as she smiled one of the biggest smiles ever, eyes shining. Lapis narrowed her eyes and closed the door behind her, but for Peridot, that had been more than reluctant acceptance.

 

*                   *                    *

The following morning brought dark clouds and a lot of rain, making Peridot groan as she stood in the kitchen, preparing breakfast. Her joints always seemed to hurt more on rainy days, especially the leg with the prosthesis. She didn’t like getting wet and always managed to slip somewhere and land in a big puddle of rainwater. She was also pretty scared of thunderstorms, although not many people knew about that.

Lapis walked into the living room, and smiled grimly at the weather. She stretched her arms and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the table.

“You know…” Peridot mumbled softly. Lapis looked at her. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day…”

Lapis took a slow bite out of the apple, licking her lips with a raised eyebrow.

“What are you, Jasper?”

“Never mind.” Peridot felt that was starting to become her new catchphrase in front of Lapis. “We should leave early… the subway kind of works badly when it rains.”

“Everything works badly when it rains.” Lapis threw the apple’s core into the little bin under the sink and looked at Peridot. “I like rain.”

“Of course you do.” Peridot thought, and hurried towards the hallway. She threw on her bright yellow raincoat and stepped into what seemed to be a pair of oversized wellingtons. Lapis, who had pulled on her usual jacket, snorted.

“You look like a canary, get the hell out of my house before I do… I don’t want to be seen with you today.”

Peridot didn’t quite know if she really meant it when she said those things, or not, but she obeyed all the same. But once she was in the building’s staircase, she stopped, for a huge leak was dripping right in front of the steps, leaving a huge puddle in front of apartments A and B.

“Er… Lapis? There’s a leak.” Peridot said, turning around.

“No shit, Sherlock.” Lapis came out as well. “It’s been here for years, now let’s go or we’ll miss our train.”

Peridot quickly obeyed but slipped in the huge puddle and lost her balance completely, heading towards the stairs. She was falling… falling backwards… she was going to crash at the bottom of the second landing…

“This is it, Peridot, this is how you die.” She remembered thinking. But she didn’t.

Right before she lost her balance completely, she felt a couple of firm arms embracing her and she was pressed forwards against a bony chest. Peridot opened her eyes, trembling terribly, and saw that she was standing an inch away from the stairs. Someone had just saved her from a big fall.

She stood there, for what seemed an eternity, pressed against Lapis’ chest, feeling her heartbeat in her ear. When the girl finally loosened her grip, Peridot looked up. The small girl went from one shock to another and found herself blushing feverently.

“I… you saved me…”

“Meh.” Lapis looked away. “ _Saving_ is such a corny word… I mean…” She frowned and then looked back at Peridot, slyly. “Soft and round, huh?”

“Eh… what?” Peridot seemed confused.

“Your chest.” Lapis placed both hands on her own chest, cupping around the shape.

The small girl seemed more confused than ever and frowned at Lapis.

“Christ, Peridot, I was making an observation.” Lapis walked past her and started going down the stairs. “Your boobs were pressing against my ribcage.”

Peridot went white as Lapis disappeared in the stairwell. Was she dreaming or had her moody roommate just made a comment about her boobs? The small girl stood there in a trance until she heard her roommate’s voice again:

“PERIDOT! I’m not going to wait for you.”

Peridot scurried down as fast as she could and hopped happily behind Lapis in the rainy street. Whatever this was, it felt like a great improvement compared to her usual scowls and silences. Maybe Lapis really did want to bond a little after all…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: A Sudden Arrangement
> 
> Lapis discovers a way to not feel alone all the time and Peridot has to deal with the consequences.


	4. A Sudden Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We can see a little change in Lapis and Peridot's relationship, and that worries Jasper a lot. The Sin is starting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the lovely comments! It makes me really happy that you're liking it so far.
> 
> For those of you who are worried because I'm depicting Lapis as an ***hole: I really wanted to focus on her evolution. She's had some bad experiences, her life isn't easy at the moment and she's feeling defensive. There's no room in her heart to worry about other people's feelings right now. But the thing is: will she eventually start caring for Peridot? 
> 
> I personally love Lapis in the series, she's one of my favorite characters. I guess that's why I want to explore her dark mood and justify it.

** Chapter Three **

** A Sudden Decision **

 

Jasper groaned as she lifted the weights off her chest and placed them back on their bars. Dropplets of sweat ran down her arm, contouring her firm muscles and making her skin look shiny. Not far of, a couple of her classmates were staring, bright eyed and faces flushing. Jasper took no notice of them, she was used to girls following her even to the gym. If they liked to see her work out and become gross, she’d let them.

The tall girl stood up, wiped her forhead with her towel and headed towards the changing-rooms, stretching herself as she went. With a sigh, she left her things in her locker and moved towards the shower, making more people stare on the way. She wondered what it was that made her so irresistible to the eyes of others… Sometimes she felt it was like a curse, and Lapis had sure seen it that way… Lapis had always been jealous of everyone’s stares…

Jasper sighed again as the water engulfed her and hoped the blue haired girl wouldn’t be taking it too hard… It had been more than half a year now… If only she could know what Lapis was feeling…

Jasper left the gym and walked across the University campus towards the cafeteria, where she knew Peridot was waiting for her. The small girl was reading a giant volume of political relationships between Japan and South Korea and almost had a heart attack when Jasper slumped down next to her.

“You scared me!” She scowled.

Jasper leaned over her and closed her book.

“Welcome back to Earth.” She smiled. “How are you today?”

“Fine.” Peridot looked away. It had been a couple of weeks since the incident on the stairwell, but she could still feel her heart beating faster than normal each time she remembered. Jasper looked at her, suspiciously.

“What’s going on?”

“Nothing.”

The big girl grabbed Peridot by her neck and started moving her about, making the small girl try to slap her away. But Jasper was too strong for her.

“What has Lapis done this time?”

“Nothing! Actually, she’s much nicer these days!” Peridot broke lose and massaged her neck, scowling at Jasper. “Brute.”

“The best you know.” Jasper winked at her, flexing her muscles. Peridot sighed, a tired look on her face. “So… she’s nicer?”

“Yeah…” Peridot leaned her face in her hands. “She says good morning and good night… and calls me by my name.”

“That’s progress.” Jasper laughed. Then, she went serious. “Did she… you know…” The girl paused, trying to find the right words.  “…try anything?”

“What do you…”

“You know damn well what I mean.”

Peridot sighed.

“No, Jasper… I told you… She wouldn’t try anything with me. I’m just an ugly nerd in her eyes…”

“You are so much more than that.” Jasper stared at her. “With your small round boobs and your apple butt…”

Peridot went red and slapped Jasper on the shoulder.

“Why won’t everyone shut up about my boobs?” She cried, a little too loudly, making the entire cafeteria look up, bemused. She went a little redder. “Anyway… seriously.”

“Wait, did she say anything…?” Jasper covered her mouth with her hand.

“No. Bye.” Peridot stood up and started walking away briskly, muttering under her breath. Jasper followed her with a big grin and caught up with her after a few steps.

“Ok, I’ll shut up. But we really do need to talk about our project… Where do you want to go?”

Their International Relationships teacher had made the class pair up and do a project about some East Asian conflict, so Peridot and Jasper had sought out each other as they both belonged to uneven groups. They were supposed to work on it that day.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet…” Peridot said.

“Your place or mine?” Jasper winked, pulling a seductive face.

“Dammit, Jasper!” Peridot gave her a push. “What’s with you today?”

“Sorry, I just love seeing your face when I say these things.” Jasper ruffled her hair and then threw her arm around the small girl’s shoulder. “Let’s go to the café where Lapis works… It’s quiet on Wednesdays.”

“Y… yeah… sure…” Peridot gulped and they walked towards the street, heading towards the café.

It was a bright sunny afternoon and there weren’t many people on the streets because of a fair that had been built in the city center. Many parents had taken their children there, and the place was altogether quiet. Jasper and Peridot entered the café and saw almost no one. Lapis, though, was leaning against the counter, a dark look on her face.

“Always the image of joy.” Jasper stooped over her and kissed the top of her head. Lapis jerked upwards and moved away, quickly.

“What the fuck, Jasper…” She ruffled her blue hair. “Why do you scare people like that.”

The tall girl laughed and leaned on the counter.

“Peri and I are going to work on our project today.” She informed her. “Could you make us something?”

“That’s what I’m here for.” Lapis scowled. “And nothing’s free.”

“I’ll have a caramel macchiato…” Jasper ignored her, smiling. Lapis raised an eyebrow and then looked at Peridot.

“And you?”

The small girl startled when Lapis spoke to her, but felt happy to be acknowledged.

“I’ll… I’ll have the chocolate frap…”

Lapis sent her a quirky smile and turned her back to them, in order to prepare their drinks. Jasper and Peridot moved away towards an empty booth and settled down. The big girl raised an eyebrow.

“Now she’s smiling at you?”

“Hey.” Peridot frowned. “You wanted us to get along…”

“Yeah, sure…” Jasper grinned. “I’m just amazed… I mean… wow.”

They sat in silence for a while and then pulled out their notes and laptops. A few moments later, when they were in the middle of a discussion, Lapis came with the drinks and placed them neatly in front of them. She bent her body elegantly around Peridot’s laptop, almost brushing her chest with the small girl’s face. Peridot went red and froze, but Lapis had moved away in a second. The blue haired girl headed towards the bar, swinging her hips a little more elegantly than usual. Jasper heaved a deep sigh.

“I know what she’s doing.” She muttered. “Peridot, you’d better stay away from her.” She looked at the small girl, whose eyes were following Lapis like a pair of slaves. “PERIDOT SNAP OUT OF IT!”

The girl looked up, surprised.

“What?”

Jasper sighed, exasperated, but also slightly amazed.

“ You like her!”

“No, I don’t!”

“Yes you do…” Jasper seemed overexcited. “You _like-like_ her.”

“I never thought I’d hear you using the term _like-like_.” Peridot shuddered. “And no, I don’t _like-like_ her.”

Jasper moved closer.

“Peridot… be honest… what do you feel?”

“Well…” The small girl seemed uncomfortable. “I think she’s beautiful, and smart… and I get all awed when she comes near… I can’t think straight, I act like a clod… and I don’t know, she just makes me feel… weak.” Peridot looked up. “But I’m sure it’s just admiration, wanting to be a stronger woman myself.”

Jasper laughed softly.

“Yeah… no.” She pressed a finger against Peridot’s heart. “Have you ever _liked-liked_ someone?”

Peridot didn’t answer immediately but brooded over the question. Had she? She couldn’t recall any real crushes in high school… or at the University, so far…

“I… don’t think so…”

“You’d know if you had.” Jasper laughed. “Oh Peri… congrats, it’s happening now. That’s why your denial seems so strong… you don’t even know what it feels like but you like Lapis. You _like-like_ her.”

Peridot threw her face in her hands.

“What if I am… I can’t handle this now…” She whimpered. “Jasper, what the hell should I do?”

Jasper’s smile faded a little and she placed her hands on the small girl’s shoulders.

“You… don’t do anything.” She said, softly. “You don’t need to do anything… You should let it flow and see where it goes… but…” She looked sad. “Be careful, Peridot. I don’t want you to end up in tears.”

“That will never happen. Let’s go on with or project.” Peridot muttered, trying to brush her discomfort away. What was Jasper thinking? She could handle that small crush… It would diminish… and go away eventually…

From the counter, Lapis was looking at them with a certain amount of interest.

 

*                   *                    *

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Peridot, Lapis thought as she watched the two of them sitting at their booth, sipping their drinks. She had a cute little face, with her blond hair cut shapely around it, and her mouth had small yet full lips. Her eyes were very bright and her nose was like an added adorable feature to the whole. Lapis squinted in their direction, trying to make out her shape.

Her little round shoulders were heaved upwards, as she was leaning on her hands… Her back stretched out towards the couch in the booth, revealing the small round shape of her backside at the end. Her legs were short, a little wider at the thighs, and she always seemed to be wearing those shapeless three quarter length trousers of hers. Lapis leaned on the bar, studying the small girl further. She wasn’t Jasper, but she was something.

Lapis headed home after her shift, much later than the other two. She took the subway towards her neighborhood and sighed as she sat down, placing her headphones on her head. She almost fell asleep on the train and had to hurry to get out at the right station. Lapis walked up the steps and went towards the brick buildings with the fire escapes, wondering if Peridot would be eating alone again. The small girl always cooked for two, but Lapis never tried the food. She wondered why Peridot kept smiling and pointing at the stove every time she came home from work.

Lapis pushed the front door open and climbed up the steps till the fourth floor. There, she took her key out of her pocket and opened the apartment door, going in with a sigh. As she closed the door behind her, she could see Peridot in the living room, wrapped in a blanket on the couch, watching TV. She walked towards her and got a small smile from the girl.

“I made curry.” She said, softly. “It’s still warm.”

Lapis stood rooted on the spot, wondering why today was different. Wondering why she felt bad…

“Thanks…” She heard herself say.

Peridot looked up, surprised, but then smiled as Lapis helped herself to a small portion of curry and rice and sat down at the table, munching slowly.

“It’s good.” She muttered, after a few mouthfuls.

Peridot smiled.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Just… this once.” Lapis felt her pride come back and she scowled. “I was hungry today and stuff.”

The small girl smiled again and turned towards the TV. After a while, Lapis left the empty plate in the sink, ran some water over it and then walked towards the sofa, perching herself next to Peridot. The small girl felt her heart skip a beat. What was Lapis doing that close to her?

“What are you watching?” Came her melodic voice.

“It’s… uh…” Peridot shoved the Camp Pining Hearts DVD box under the table with her foot. “Just this story about a…”

Lapis laughed, looking suddenly friendly.

“Alright, I won’t ask.” She hugged her knees, looking at the screen.

Peridot stared at Lapis for a while, who seemed pretty much at peace that day. She wondered what had made her attitude change.  
“Lapis?” The blue haired girl looked at her. Peridot went red. “Never mind.”

“Spit it out.” Lapis jerked at the blanket and it slipped a little, revealing Peridot’s shoulder. She was wearing a lose tank top she used as pajamas.

“No… it’s just.” Peridot moved the blanket back, embarrassed. “Why are you… being nice to me? I thought you hated me?”

“Hm.” Lapis stared at her. “Well… I didn’t want a roommate, I didn’t want my life to suck and I didn’t want anything. But the truth is… my life sucks anyway and you’re not such a bad roommate.” She smiled. “You even do my dishes sometimes.” She paused as Peridot looked away, red in the face. “I still don’t want a roommate, but that’s not your fault.” She moved her arm towards the small girl and cupped her cheek in her hand, rather suddenly. “You have a nice smile.”

Peridot went even redder and would have shied away if it wasn’t for Lapis’ deep blue eyes, who were staring at her, transfixed. Without warning, she felt herself being drawn towards the blue haired girl, who was pulling her closer and closer, her hand still on her cheek. Their noses touched and Peridot thought her heart would jump right out of her chest, but Lapis took no notice, tilting her head upwards and kissing Peridot’s brow, feeling the girl tremble beneath her lips. Somehow, that really set her off and she pulled Peridot towards her, caressing the girl’s lips with her own.

Peridot froze, she couldn’t move a muscle. Lapis had her in a tight embrace and kissed her, first carefully, then passionately. As their lips entwined, the blanket slipped off Peridot’s shoulders and slid to the floor. Lapis drew away from her and studied the small girl, whose chest was heaving up and down in excitement. She grabbed her shoulder and pulled her towards her again, this time nibbling her neck. Peridot let out a little moan, making Lapis ache for more and push the little girl backwards on the sofa. She silenced Peridot’s sighs with kisses and moved down to kiss her neck and chest. Not too slowly, her hands moved under the small girl’s clothes and caressed her skin. Peridot felt her entire body shake under her touch.

“L… Lapis…” It was too sudden.

Lapis nibbled on her ear, her hands sliding upwards towards the girl’s chest. The small girl looked up.

“Lapis.”

Peridot grabbed her arms, holding them still. She stared into her blue eyes.

“I have never…” She muttered, looking away.

Lapis paused, suddenly realizing what was happening. She drew her arms back and got off the girl, allowing her to move freely.

“Never?”

“Never… I haven’t exactly been with someone before, you know…” Peridot curled up into a ball, flushing. “I wouldn’t know how to…”

Lapis couldn’t help but smile a little, and she awkwardly straightened the girl’s clothes so that she was fully covered up again.

“Of course not.” She stood up, rather suddenly, making Peridot stare. “I.. er… I’d better go…” And she left for the bathroom to take her evening shower.

As she let the water run down her face and neck, Lapis realized that she hadn’t felt that excited in months… For a very long time, her emotional pain had been a barrier out which she couldn’t escape. But just now, kissing Peridot, she felt had powerful and desirable… as if she could do anything… as if the world was at her feet.

Lapis stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself up in a towel, staring at her face in the mirror. Peridot liked her, she could see that, and it felt good to be liked… to be desired… to have someone there who actually trembled in her arms… Lapis sighed and opened the door, peeking right and left. Peridot was still sitting on the sofa, staring blankly in front of her… pretending to watch TV but probably completely shocked by what had just happened. Maybe she ought to at least try and reassure her a little…

Lapis, still wearing her towel around her, walked over towards the small girl, who looked up, and sat next to her. There was no point in scaring her if she was planning to get what she wanted.

“I didn’t mean to be that forward.” The blue haired girl said, trying to sound apologetic and casual at the same time. “It just happened.”

“It’s okay.” Peridot managed to squeak. “Why, though?”

Lapis turned towards her.

“You’re cute.” She smiled and leaned over to kiss her nose. Peridot winced. “Sorry.” She could have kicked herself. The small girl obviously needed some time…

“It’s just…” Peridot looked away. “I thought you hated me or something.”

“Well it’s not like I love you now.” Lapis stretched her arms and the towel moved slightly, making Peridot go red again. She wasn’t doing a very good job in clearing the air and she sighed. “But I wouldn’t have minded going further just now, would you?”

Peridot made a choking noise and looked at the floor, her face completely scarlet. Lapis laughed, she found that sensation of being in control amazing. Was this how Jasper had always felt? Was she to Peridot what Jasper had been to her?

“Well… you know…” Lapis winked at Peridot. “Whenever you want.” She gave her a small smile. “Whenever you’re ready… no feelings, no complications… just that.”

The small girl looked up, her body trembling again. Lapis stood up and headed towards her room, ready to settle down for the evening.

“Good night, Peridot.” She said, gently. And closed the door behind her. Just as she had done so, she threw her towel over a chair and lay down on her bed, arms behind her head. Had she been too forward, even after the apology? Had Peridot been able to see through her that she hadn’t really meant it? Would the small girl respond to her advances if she didn’t take control?

Lapis smirked, she hadn’t felt so good in ages. It wouldn’t be hard to seduce someone as Peridot… it wouldn’t be hard at all… and if she did… maybe Jasper would notice her again… maybe she would realize that she didn’t want to lose her after all… maybe everything would go back to normal and she’d be out of that living hell she had been trapped in for the past few months.

For the first night in a very long time, Lapis Lazuli fell asleep with a smile on her face.

 

*                   *                    *

Peridot, however, did not sleep at all that night. She lay awake, tossing and turning, wondering what had just happened. Her head was a confused maze right now, and the roads to happiness or sadness kept switching directions, not knowing where to turn. Was she happy? Was she sad? Peridot had no idea what to feel.

It had been truly amazing, that kiss. Or kissed. She went red and gently touched her lips with her fingers. She ran her hand down her jaw towards her neck and collarbone, which felt sore from Lapis’ nibbles. She smiled stupidly, remembering the sensation of her teeth gently digging in her neck. Peridot groaned and turned around again, trying to forget, but she couldn’t. All she could think about was Lapis.

What was happening? Was Lapis into her? Could that be true? She sighed, knowing that wasn’t true… Lapis had said it herself: no feelings, no complications… just that. That meant she probably just wanted se… Peridot sat up bold in bed. Sex? She wasn’t ready for that! She had never even been close to doing something like that. What was even going on? She wished she could just forget all about it, for the sensations in her head were just too confusing. On the one hand, she wanted to run as fast away as she could, but on the other… she really wished Lapis to lie beside her.

Peridot didn’t sleep a wink and when the alarm clock rang, she knew it would be a very very hard day for her. She wasn’t wrong.

 

*                   *                    *

 

Jasper was waiting in front of their economics classroom that morning and the two roommates arrived together, rather awkwardly. Even stranger, Lapis smiled brightly at her while Peridot barely noticed the big girl. Jasper frowned. What was going on?

She sat down in the front, next to Peridot, that day, and some of the other students muttered they couldn’t see. Her usual fan-club seemed rather annoyed that they couldn’t be close to their favorite girl but they couldn’t protest for long, as their teacher came in and started lecturing them almost immediately.

As he started explaining about the impact of the economic bubble in Japan, Peridot was heavily interrogated by Jasper.

“What’s up? Why is Lapis happy? What did she do to you?”

“Shhh…” Peridot looked around, mortified that someone would find out. “Jasper, nothing happened, I just couldn’t sleep tonight, that’s why I look like crap.”

“But what about Lapis? Why did she smile just now?”

“I don’t know, Jasper…” Peridot felt a bad headache coming up. “You know her better than I do…”

Jasper sighed, feeling worried and helpless. She had been in Lapis’ position once, and knew what the girl was going through. Because of that, she tried not to be too cold and distant, even if she was her ex and they had had a bad breakup. She wanted to be there for her even if it wasn’t always possible… But she also knew her well, and Lapis needed to feel love, to feel comfort. If she was turning to Peridot for that, well… It would really make things complicated.

On the other hand, who was she to stop such a thing from happening? Sure, she was Lapis’ ex and Peridot’s friend, and she had been the one to introduce them to each other, but what right did she have to bless the weird relationship they might or might not have? And why would she want to stop it anyway? If it made Lapis feel better, shouldn’t she be all for it? Shouldn’t she want her to move on?

But it wasn’t that. Jasper was not the jealous type and she was well over Lapis. It was Peridot that bothered her. Sweet innocent Peridot, who hadn’t come out of her shell until she had spoken to her… She was like a little sister, or maybe a cousin, someone she felt the need to protect. It wasn’t easy, being torn between what was best for each.

Peridot wasn’t having an easy time either. Her headache had gotten worse and she didn’t have any aspirins with her. She had barely survived economy class with Jasper asking all those questions and she was having a really hard time in New Technologies. She clutched her head in her hands and groaned. She knew she had to leave early that day and go home, or it would turn into a migraine. If she did that, maybe she could finally get some sleep.

The entire class stared as she got up and walked towards their teacher, muttering that she wasn’t feeling at all well. The teacher nodded and she was free to go, therefore, she switched off the school computer she had been working on and headed towards the door, gently swinging her bag over her shoulder. Peridot went outside and groaned as the sunlight shone on her face.

She hadn’t yet reached the subway when a voice stopped her.

“Oy!”

Peridot turned around sharply, squinting in the sunlight. It was Lapis. The tall girl moved towards her and took a train ticket out of her pocket.

“I’m also going home.” She said, simply.

“What… why?” Peridot muttered, as they went down the subway steps.

“Because I don’t like new techno class, it’s boring, and I don’t understand things like macros.” Lapis smiled. “And there isn’t even an exam… I mean, the only final project we have to present is some shitty PowerPoint about Asian Culture… Like I can do that in an hour…”

“Presence counts.” Peridot mumbled as she drew her ticket through the machines. Lapis followed her through another.

“Aww, you care about me.” The tall girl said. “It’s okay, I won’t skip again, _mum_.”

Peridot shot her a slightly disgruntled look as they stood on the platform, waiting for the train.

“Don’t you have to work?”

“Not until later…” Lapis looked at her and went solemn. “I get it, you know… You’re probably mad at me for what I said and did yesterday… and you probably didn’t sleep… and you probably have a headache because of that… But I have stuff for that at home. You can take an aspirin and have a nice nap.”

Peridot sighed as their train arrived and they both got in, sitting down beside one of the doors. It was an intimate row of three seats that was hidden behind the small columns surrounding the doors.

“Why are you being nice?” Peridot asked, quite ill-humored because of her headache. “I mean… Come on! You were so irritated when I came and live with you… and just a couple of weeks later you’re trying to… to…”

“… to what?” Lapis smirked.

“Jasper warned me about this.” Peridot muttered.

“Jasper isn’t here!” Lapis looked suddenly angry. She glared at the small girl, who flinched back into her seat. “Jasper is gone, she left my life voluntarily, she has no right whatsoever to have an opinion about me! And you don’t even know me, so don’t you dare believe everything she says!”

Peridot stared at her for a moment and then looked away, ashamed.

“You’re right.” She muttered. “Whatever your reasons are for…” She paused. “...calling me _cute_ … they are only yours.”

They spent the rest of their train ride in silence and when it arrived at their station, both girls walked up the stairs, solemnly. As they passed the ticket barriers, Lapis took Peridot’s hand in hers and they crossed the street together. Once they arrived at the building’s doors, they climbed upstairs and went into their apartment. Lapis led her to the medical cabinet in the bathroom and handed her an aspirin.

“Here you are.” She muttered, and headed to the kitchen to get the small girl a glass of water. Peridot took her pill and left the glass in the sink.

“Thanks.” She said awkwardly, and turned slowly towards her room. She felt nauseous from the pain and wondered if that day could get any worse. She slumped down on her bed, drew the curtains, turned off all the lights and closed her eyes, hoping the aspirin would work quickly.

She woke up a few hours later when the sky was already dark and Lapis had already gone off to work. The small girl heaved a sigh of relief when she noticed her headache was over, and she stood up, ready to cook some dinner. But when she arrived in the kitchen, a large wok had already been left on the stove. There was a small note attached to it, written in Lapis’ slanting handwriting:

 

_Eat up._

 

Peridot smiled and helped herself to some steamed vegetables in soy-sauce, a delicious meal she had seen Lapis cook for herself now and again. It tasted good and she munched happily while watching the Discovery channel. As she was staring at a couple of dolphins jumping in and out of the water, she was thinking of Lapis. Beautiful Lapis. She had actually made dinner for her.

Just as Peridot started doing the dishes, Lapis came home and headed for the kitchen. She stretched like a cat and gave the girl a small smile.

“Headache gone?”

“Yeah.”

“Good.” Lapis moved towards her and kissed the small girl’s forehead. Peridot moved backwards and almost fell into the sink. “Woa, sorry.”

“No, no… it’s fine.” Peridot moved back towards her and placed a small kiss on her cheek, leaving Lapis amazed. “That’s for dinner. Thanks.”

The small girl rushed towards her room and slammed the door behind her, grinning broadly. She had loved the look of surprise on Lapis’ face… It wasn’t so bad, really, all that playfulness… It made her feel happy and free, in one way or another; as if the rules she had stuck with all her life just didn’t matter anymore. She wanted… she wanted to play Lapis’ game amidst the warnings.

Peridot looked up, suddenly determined. She liked Lapis, she really liked her and she wasn’t going to play it safe anymore. She wasn’t going to listen to Jasper. The small girl made a decision, huddled between her sheets. She would not shy away anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Surrendering
> 
> Sin. A lot of sin. If you don't like sin, stop reading now.


	5. Surrendering

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis has an encounter with a drunk Peridot and Jasper.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SIN SIN SO MUCH SIN  
> And angst  
> BUT MOSTLY SIN
> 
> Really, if you're not into that, you should probably stop reading now. Because we've boarded the sin train and there's no going back.
> 
> No but seriously, thanks so much for reading. I hope every new chapter lives up to your standards~

** Chapter Four **

** Surrendering **

 

It was raining heavily; it had been raining all day long. Peridot stared gloomily at the doors that led to the balcony, her head resting on her hands. Small droplets ran down the glass, each creating a different course and ending on the rim, building up water as they fell. Occasionally it would become too much and it would splash on the balcony floor. Peridot sighed deeply; she was sitting at the kitchen table, her homework sprawled around her, and she felt depressed because of the weather. She really hated it when it was cold and wet.

Her phone bleeped rather suddenly and she jumped, for she had been spacing out rather badly. She checked the screen: It was Jasper.

 

_U home ?_

Peridot sighed again and sent an affirmative answer back. But Jasper seemed a little impatient to continue texting so suddenly her phone started ringing. Peridot sighed and picked it up, wondering what she wanted.

“Yo, Dot!” Came a voice which was definitely not Jasper’s. There was a lot of background noise which pointed suspiciously at a party.

“Amethyst?” Peridot sighed. “What’s up?”

“We’re having a party at our place! Wanna hang? It’s just us from the Online Gang… plus all the booze… plus Pearl.”

Peridot rolled her eyes wondering if that group ever did anything else than throwing drinking parties.

“How are you drunk at seven pm?” She muttered. “And no, I don’t want to hang. I have to finish my translation for tomorrow.”

“Dude! Don’t be such a little bitch!” Amethyst never censored her speech. “We haven’t seen you in ages!”

Suddenly Peridot heard a scruffle and Jasper was back on the line.

“Hey Peri.” She didn’t sound very sober either. “No one’s gonna force you but we do love you and we wanna see you…”

“You see me every single day.” Peridot mumbled.

“Yeah but the others don’t…” Jasper begged. “Awww come on… Ame and Garnet and Pearl are all dying to see you!”

Peridot pondered about it… Why not? She could use a break and being all alone in that apartment wasn’t very comforting. True, it did feel more like home now, but it somehow seemed incredibly empty when Lapis wasn’t there, and she was working a late shift that night. The small girl looked at her homework and suddenly felt the urge to get very very far away from it.

“Fine…” She said. “I’ll come.”

She hung up before an unnecessary dosage of cheering broke out.

The small girl rummaged through her drawers to find something to wear; somehow the clothes she owned weren’t really fit for parties. Not even casual parties where everyone looked pretty comfortable… Peridot sighed. Her usual three quarter pants would have to do… She pulled them on, careful not to get them caught in the rims of her prosthetic leg, and hunted for a couple of long black stockings. She also decided to wear her favorite T-shirt – which clearly stated that she did not believe in humans – and her short brown boots.

“And I’m boring and unsexy again.” She told herself in the mirror. “But who cares, it’s just a party with the squad.” The small girl frowned at herself. Since when did she care about her appearance anyway?

Peridot left home with an umbrella and headed slowly towards the subway, as she was afraid to slip. This time Lapis wasn’t there to save her.

Save her.

She smiled, she could still feel the tall girl’s arms wrapped around her, grabbing her tightly and pressing her small body against hers. And she could also feel her lips, caressing her collarbone…

Peridot ran right into one of the iron columns at the station and cursed loudly, making people stare. She quickly slid her ticket through the barrier and headed to the other side of the platform, red in the face. It wasn’t the first time something like that had happened and it probably wouldn’t be the last… thinking of Lapis was just too intense.

The train arrived soon, amidst the bad weather, and Peridot settled down. It was quite empty for some reason, and she felt thankful for that. She felt pretty uncomfortable with too many strangers around… The small girl stared patiently out of the window, seeing the suburbs fly by, and wondered if Lapis was done with her shift yet. Her schedule was pretty chaotic sometimes.

She got out at the university station, for Amethyst and Pearl shared one of the school dorms. They were small and cruddy, but quite cheap and Peridot knew she would’ve ended up in one of those if it weren’t for Lapis. The dorm buildings were on campus, but a little separated from the school buildings, so the small girl had to walk for a while. Even though their University was in the middle of nature, it still had a paved road from the main buildings to the dorms, so she didn’t have to deal with much mud, which she was quite thankful for. It was a steep climb though, which made her really tired. When she finally arrived at the spot, she took out her phone to text Jasper. All those buildings looked the same to her and she could never find the right one: they were all cream-colored, about four floors tall and basically looked like someone had dropped a whole set of squares in the middle of nowhere.

In a minute, Jasper had appeared and embraced Peridot, who spluttered in protest.

“My little Peri, you came!” She exclaimed, happily. “Come on up! You need a beer!”

“No, I don’t.” Peridot allowed herself to be pushed up the round stairwell of one of the buildings. The graffiti was strong on that one. Probably Amethyst’s doing.

“You will drain a beer as soon as you arrive, I promise.”

“I will do no such thing.”

After climbing endlessly – everyone always seemed to live at the top floor – Jasper and Peridot arrived right in front of the apartment and the first one knocked on the door. A tall dark and breathtaking woman opened it, staring at them solemnly. She wore tight red leggings and a black tank top.

“Peridot. Good to see you again.” She said.

“Good to see you too, Garnet.” Peridot and Jasper moved inside, heading towards the living room. It was a small apartment which had a micro-kitchen in the corridor, a tiny living room and one bedroom with a couple of beds in it. Of course, there was also a bathroom in the corridor. The school dorms covered the basic needs and included such things as air-conditioning and WI-FI, but they were rather small.

All their friends from the online game were there… Amethyst was sitting comfortably on the floor poring over what seemed like a board game. Pearl was sitting neatly in an armchair next to her, one leg crossed over the other. She seemed tense but that was probably because Rose was there too, and she had brought Greg with her. Peridot felt sorry for Pearl… all that time pining over Rose and now she was going out with a dude – nobody had expected that, Pearl least of all.

After a few hugs and smooches, which made Peridot wish she’d never been born but also secretly pleased her, they pulled her towards the group and gave her a tall glass of something red.

“Okay, guys, seriously… WHAT is this?” Peridot growled. “You know I don’t speak booze…”

“Chill, it’s just sangria…” Jasper winked at her. “You might like it more than beer.”

“I don’t even like beer.”

“Just try it!” Rose gave her a little push. “It’s sweet and fruity.”

Peridot took a sip and raised an eyebrow.

“Actually… it’s not that bad..”

“Yeah…” Came Pearl’s voice. “If you don’t mind a horrible hangover with a monster headache…”

“Aw, come on, P!” Amethyst exclaimed. “That’s just you! Most of us can chug this and feel fine.” Pearl scowled. “Anyhooo…” She turned to Peridot. “We’re playing this board game in which we need to roll the dice and if it leaves us on one of these weird looking guys, we have to repeat a sentence… and if we don’t repeat it correctly, we have to drink.. also…”

Peridot sighed and took another sip of sangria. Amethyst was not the best explaining board games… In fact, she just hoped she’d get the hang of it while playing.

“No, no, Amethyst!” Pearl exclaimed. “No one will ever understand it if you explain it…” She smiled at Peridot. “You just have to roll the dice and depending on the image you get, you have to do something different… so if it falls on these beer mugs over here, you have to drink… uh… four glasses.” She sighed. “And if it falls on this thing called mambo, you have to…” She looked at the group. “What was this again?”

“You have to chug during twelve seconds, and then someone shouts mambo and you have to finish the glass!” Amethyst laughed. “My favorite.”

“Of course.” Pearl muttered, sarcastically. “Anyway… We’ll explain on the way.”

Peridot nodded and took another sip of her sangria. It looked like it was going to be a long night… She didn’t know how right she was.

 

                                            *                      *                       *

 

Peridot giggled loudly as she twirled around a streetlamp and Jasper laughed, trying to hold her steady.

“Wow, you needed that.” She told the small girl, who just smirked. “But careful, the bus might be coming any minute now and I don’t want you to go swinging in front of it…” She took Peridot firmly by the arm and held her next to her.

They had spent quite a few hours at the dorm. It had gotten really late, and the trains had stopped working, so they had to get a bus in order to go home. Garnet had decided to sleep over, and Greg and Rose had taken a bus in the opposite direction, towards Greg’s village. Only Peridot and Jasper remained now, wondering when their bus would come… But it turned out they didn’t have to wait long at all, for it arrived in ten minutes. They got on, happily, and slid their tickets through the machine. The two girls headed towards a couple of seats in the back – which didn’t really matter for it was practically empty – and they sat down heavily, their heads spinning.

“Man, am I glad it’s Saturday tomorrow…” Jasper grinned.

“Did you finish your translation?” Peridot asked lazily. “We’re supposed to send it by email on Saturday – which is today.”

“Fuck the translation.” Jasper put her head in her hands. “I hate busses… they make me dizzy… and I’m drunk, speak about double combo…”

“Please don’t throw up.” Peridot begged her. Luckily, she didn’t.

The small girl was almost fast asleep when she finally reached her destination. Jasper had gotten off quite a few stops before and she wasn’t quite sure where she was heading, but she had managed to wake up just enough to make out the tall buildings where Lapis lived. Where they lived. Peridot jumped out of the bus and walked awkwardly towards the door, pushing it open with both hands. She managed to drag herself upstairs but never drew the key in the keyhole. Instead, she made a very skeptical Lapis open the door for her. The blue haired girl, wearing her usual sweatpants and crop top, raised an eyebrow.

“Well that’s a first.”

Peridot, who was sitting on the doormat, whimpered and apology.

“Oh, whatever.” Lapis grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up. “Go take a cold shower and I’ll make you something.”

Peridot smiled at her thankfully and tried to walk in a straight line towards her room, although she failed miserably. All that twirling before had slightly repositioned the cushioning in her prosthetic leg and the stairs hadn’t really helped. She was dying to take it of or at least put it back to its normal position, for it was pretty uncomfortable now. She sighed, as she picked up her pajamas and headed towards the bathroom, never noticing there was a small puddle of water on the floor.

And she slipped, opening her legs into a wide split. Her prosthetic leg obviously couldn’t handle that so it slightly loosened, making her leg twist in the oddest angle. Lapis, who had come to see what all the noise was about, gasped.

“Did you just break your…?” And then she caught sight of a small metallic-colored ball that connected what was supposed to be the leg with the foot. “Oh…”

For a moment, neither of them knew where to look. Peridot sighed deeply, wondering if Lapis was weirded out by it, but to her surprise, the tall girl held out a hand.

“You’re so clumsy.” She muttered.

Peridot took her hand and smiled brightly. She gracefully hopped inside the bathroom, clutching her leg with her other hand, and sat down on the bidet.

“Thanks.” She mumbled.

“Take a shower.” Lapis muttered. “And then come to the living room, I have something for you.”

After what seemed an eternity of attempting to shower drunk, Peridot emerged from the bathtub, slightly refreshed and pulled on her pajamas. She felt relieved that Lapis had found out about her leg, for this meant she could now do her usual business without having to conceal it anymore. Not that she had ever felt the necessity of concealing it from the world, but she never really knew how to bring it up. Most people never really knew how to react either. But both Lapis and Jasper hadn’t made a big deal out of it and she felt happy about it.

She walked towards the living room, much more gracefully than before, and sat down on the sofa as Lapis handed her a drink. It was brownish.

“What’s this? It smells to…” Peridot frowned. “Alcohol? Are you trying to kill me?”

“Relax, it’s just a drop of rum in a big glass of milk.” Lapis smiled, sitting down next to her. “This really works, trust me… I’ve never had a hangover after taking one of these.”

Peridot smirked.

“I can’t imagine you having a hangover.”

“It’s not pretty…” Lapis giggled. “Jasper can…” She suddenly went quiet. “Anyway.” She muttered. “Drink up.”

Peridot obeyed. Truth is, it didn’t taste bad at all and she finished it completely. Lapis left he glass on the little coffee table and pinched Peridot’s cheek gently.

“You should go to bed.” She said. “You look like you need some rest.”

Peridot looked away, not knowing why she felt suddenly sad.

“I guess I do.” She mumbled, and got up. Lapis stood up with her and grabbed her arm. Peridot sighed. “I can actually walk, you know… Now that you’ve seen…”

“I know.” Lapis cut through. “You can walk, you can run, and I can drag you downstairs every morning. You don’t have to prove your capabilities to me, I’m your roommate, I can see them myself. But you _are_ pretty drunk so let me take you to bed…” She winked. “To tuck you in, I mean.”

Peridot didn’t know what to say after that, so she just let herself be dragged towards the bedroom. As Lapis gently pushed her into bed, she realized she would no longer have to wear long stockings with her pajamas. She could just show both her legs now…

Lapis sat down next to her and smiled, stroking the small girl’s head with her hand. Then, she curled up beside her and threw her arms around her waist from behind. Peridot made a surprised little noise, similar to a cat’s when waked, but Lapis wouldn’t allow any protest and gently kissed the back of her neck. The small girl shuddered and let out a small sigh, which prompted Lapis to go on. She gently nibbled on the girl’s shoulder, sending chills down her back. Peridot let out a small gasp this time.

“Surrender to me.” Lapis whispered, her hot breath over the girl’s neck. “Surrender to me and I’ll show you the sweetest of pleasures.”

Peridot turned around and they kissed, holding each other tightly. After a few moments, they broke lose and Lapis laughed softly.

“You know…” Peridot mumbled. “That was pretty cliché.”

“What was?”

“Surrender to me…” She smirked and Lapis laughed again.

“Maybe.” She answered. “But then again, sometimes only a cliché can describe the truth.”

They chuckled and kissed again, this time more intensely than before. Lapis pinned Peridot down and was about to climb on top of her when someone’s phone started ringing. The blue haired girl spun around.

“It’s yours.” She muttered to Peridot.

The small girl took her phone from the night table, Lapis still on top of her, and answered it, wondering what that was about.

“Jasper?”

Lapis twitched awkwardly, looking away.

“Yeah.” Came Jasper’s voice. “Turned out I lost my keys so I went back to Amethyst and Pearl’s, but they weren’t there either. Can I crash with you?”

Peridot looked up at Lapis, who was still bending over her.

“Can she crash with us?”

Lapis got off with a sigh and nodded.

“Whatever.” Her usual darkness creeping over her face again.

“She said yes.” Peridot told Jasper, who heaved a sigh of relief. “When will you be here?”

“Actually…” Jasper confessed. “I’m already here. I’m coming up the stairs now.”

Peridot went blank and put the phone down, looking at Lapis.

“She’s here.”

The blue haired girl shrugged and smirked.

“So?”

“So? Get fucking out of my bed!” Peridot panicked. “What if she sees you here?”

“What if she does?” Lapis crossed her arms. “It’s not her business.”

Peridot muttered something and jumped out of bed, heading to the front door. She was thankful to see that Lapis came behind her, eliminating all evidence of what had happened… or what hadn’t happened.

Jasper walked in, huffing and puffing after the flight of stairs. She patted Peridot on the back and smiled at Lapis. She walked towards her and stroked her cheek with the back of her hand.

“Thanks.” She muttered. Lapis took a step backwards. The big girl sighed and pointed towards the living room with her head. “Sofa?”

“You’re too big for my sofa.” Lapis said, quietly. “Have my bed, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”

Jasper seemed a little surprised but then looked firm.

“No way, you should have your bed… I can sleep anywhere, I’m crashing here drunk… I should have no rights or privileges…”

The three of them stared at each other in the corridor for a few painful minutes.

“So…” Peridot muttered after a while. “Who is sleeping where?”

 

                               *                        *                          *

Peridot heaved a huge sigh as Jasper snored loudly beside her, making the bed tremble. Or that’s what it felt like… Somehow, her sharing a bed with her ex hadn’t seemed a good idea, and Peridot felt that she couldn’t really sleep with Lapis either without Jasper getting suspicious. But even though she felt comfortable with her friend, she was just too bulky to be in her bed with her. Peridot wondered how she had ever been able to sleep with Lapis; it must have been pretty crowded in those small beds.

Jasper turned around, trapping Peridot with her strong arm and the small girl pushed it away, muttering loudly. She almost felt tempted to go and sleep on the sofa herself, although Lapis’ room was starting to feel like a strong first choice. But she just didn’t have the guts and Lapis had seemed a little distant after Jasper had arrived, so she decided to get a glass of water instead. She still felt a little dizzy from the drinking and wondered if she would get a hangover.

Peridot moved through the dark corridor towards the living room, heading for the fridge. She found a cool jug of water with a little lemon in it – Lapis always had some around – and poured herself a big glass. She drank it up and then sat down on the sofa, hugging her knees with her hands. The situation in that apartment was now practically surreal: she was living with Jasper’s ex, Jasper’s ex had come on to her, now Jasper was sleeping in her bed… Peridot groaned, sinking her face into her knees.

“Hey.”

The small girl looked up, a little startled, only to see Lapis standing at the doorway, hugging her torso with her arms.

“Lapis…” Peridot straightened her shorts self-consciously. “Can’t sleep?”

“I should ask you the same question… Aren’t you supposed to sleep the booze off? Is Jasper too much for you in bed?” Lapis sat down next to her and smirked. “She always was…”

Peridot giggled nervously.

“You know…” Lapis placed a hand on Peridot’s good leg, rubbing it softly. “Jasper makes me really mad.”

Peridot looked at her, slightly surprised.

“Why so?” She frowned. “I know you two have history but she seems pretty… supportive…”

Lapis sighed, as she drew circles with her fingers on Peridot’s skin.

“She just won’t leave me alone.” She muttered. “She’s always trying to look out for me and she thinks we can just… be friends… But I can’t just be friends with her, she’s my ex… How can she think that?”

Peridot stared at Lapis in wonder, as it was the first time the girl had ever remotely told her what she was feeling. She drew close to her and leaned her head on her shoulder.

“Because one love doesn’t rule out another.” She said, softly. “You might not be a couple anymore but I think it’s obvious she still cares about you… maybe in a different way, but it feels good to have a friend like that, doesn’t it?”

Lapis jerked away from her and stood up.

“No! It sucks!” She exclaimed, walking towards the balcony and quickly climbing up to the roof. Peridot followed her, balancing as she could on the little iron ladder. Lapis saw her struggle and heaved her up with one arm, making the small girl slump beside her. They lay down together, side by side, staring at the fading stars above. It was almost morning and the sky was turning slightly lighter.

“Have you ever loved someone?” Lapis asked her, in a whisper. “Have they ever hurt you on a way that you couldn’t get up again afterwards?”

Peridot stared at the sky, in a trance.

“No.” She whispered back. “Truth is, I have no idea how much pain you must be feeling. I can only imagine…”

Lapis turned on her side facing Peridot and drew an arm around the girl.

“It’s living hell.” She whispered, staring at her intensely. “But you go on; every day you get up and do what you have to do until it stops hurting.”

“Well, I know that feeling.” Peridot placed a hand on her prosthetic leg. “Trying to get used to something missing sucks.”

Lapis placed her hand next to Peridot’s.

“We should not be comparing.” She muttered. “It must have been hard for you.” She gently stroked her prosthetic leg, moving upwards in order to find skin.

“It was.” Peridot confessed. “But I’m totally fine with it now.”

“I should hope so.” Lapis smiled a little. “You’re the hottest cyber-chick I know.” And she bent down to kiss Peridot’s thigh, connected to the prosthetic limb.

“You shouldn’t lie…” Peridot muttered. “Wait… cyber-chick?”

Lapis chuckled.

“You have a robotic leg.”

“Oh… come on.” Peridot sat up straight and looked down at Lapis, who was grinning between her legs. “I wish I had one, I could shoot something at you.”

“You don’t want to do that.” Lapis bit her thigh gently. “You want me to stay very very close…” She sat up and stared at Peridot’s red face. “But I’m going to bed now, so suck it up.” She slid off the roof and landed neatly on the terrace, giggling like a schoolgirl. Peridot stared after her as she came down too and wondered if she should follower her to her room, but something held her back. In the end, she moved towards her own room and cuddled next to Jasper, who had practically taken up most of the space by now. Peridot sighed and hugged her friend for comfort, as if she were some gigantic plushy animal. As much as she wanted to be with Lapis, it was all too new and scary for her at the moment. She couldn’t recognize her own feelings anymore. Besides, there was something that held her back: as much as she wanted to be close to that girl, she doubted very much that Lapis had honest feelings for her.

 

                                       *                        *                          *

Lapis woke up fairly early next morning – after last night’s events – and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast only to find Jasper sitting at the kitchen table, looking meek and apologetic. Without a word, Lapis handed her a glass of milk which the big girl gulped up, gratefully.

“Thanks.” She muttered. “For everything…” She looked at Lapis, who shrugged.

“It was nothing.” The blue haired girl answered.

“But it was.” Jasper sighed. “I keep screwing up when all I want is to make things right. I want to give you space but I always end up pulling stunts like this. I don’t know what to do sometimes… I want to be there for you but…”

Lapis sighed darkly.

“…but at the same time you don’t want to give me hope.” She muttered. “I know. Poor Jasper, your life is so hard right now.”

Jasper looked up, slightly annoyed.

“Just because I was the one who broke up with you, you think I’m not suffering?” She exclaimed. “Do you think I’m happy that you’re in pain?”

“I’m the one suffering!” Lapis cried out, indignant. “You threw me away like garbage and you dare tall me that your life is hard!”

Jasper stood up, nostrils flaring.

“You’re acting as a child again! You’re always acting as a child!” She shouted. “You have no idea how to empathize with others, and you think you’re the only one in this world who deserves to be sad! Well I have news for you, Lapis! Other people suffer too and it’s not pretty for them either!” She walked towards the corridor, taking her jacket off the coat-hanger. “This reminds me why I broke up with you, you just can’t speak about these things on a rational way!” She walked out and slammed the door behind her, leaving Lapis standing motionless in the corridor.

Why was she like that? She asked herself. Why did she push away everyone she loved? Lapis didn’t have an answer for that… All she knew is that she loved Jasper, but she also hated her. Jasper was responsible for her pain after all…

But had it been her fault entirely? Lapis sighed. The big girl was right when she said that she acted as a child, although it was really hard not to do so sometimes. Jasper always tried to be in control and on top of every situation and that was pretty annoying, seeing as she couldn’t even handle a little arguing.

It was a quiet day, at least for Lapis, who wondered around the house in her sweatpants doing nothing whatsoever. She had much to think about. Peridot, on the other hand, spent the afternoon working on the translation they had for homework and managed to send it to the teacher on time. They hardly spoke during the day, bumping awkwardly into each other and somehow avoiding the other’s gaze. Lapis knew Peridot felt uncomfortable after everything that had happened in her short stay, but she also felt slightly frustrated that the little girl couldn’t just accept her advances… She was such a nerd. How hard was it really?

*                   *                    *

Lapis opened her eyes, wondering why she was awake. She checked her alarm clock and saw that it was two in the morning, not a very logical hour for her to wake up. She frowned, wondering what had made her do so and why she couldn’t seem to go back to sleep. She sat up with a sigh. Maybe she just needed a glass of water.

She walked barefoot through the dark corridor, wearing nothing but her old crop top she used for sleeping and her panties; she liked it when Peridot got all flustered seeing her like that. It was really cute, actually.

She could see a light shining through the cracks of Peridot’s door and she sighed, wondering why anyone would want to stay up that late. Lapis walked quietly towards the kitchen, shaking her head, and poured herself a glass of water.

Peridot, who had been on tumblr since midnight, came out of her room shortly after and headed towards the bathroom, sleepily. She didn’t pay much mind at where she was going and bumped into Lapis in the darkness, who was returning to her own room. They both let out a yell.

“Christ, Peridot!” Lapis scolded her. “Are you kidding me? Creeping like that in the dark…”

“Sorry…” Peridot rubbed her cheek, which she had bumped against Lapis’ shoulder. “I just had to go to the bathroom…”

Lapis sighed and turned the light on in the hallway.

“Go then.”

But Peridot was motionless, stupefied. She was staring at Lapis’ slim figure, tall and elegant, and barely dressed. Her heart started fluttering like a baby bird and she felt her knees go weak. Lapis noticed Peridot’s state and frowned.

“What’s up with you know?” She asked, annoyed. “You had to go pee… so go pee.”

“Y… yes… Pee…” Peridot moved towards the bathroom like a robot and closed the door behind her. Afterwards, she returned to her bedroom and curled up between the sheets, heart still racing. Even though the situation got more awkward every day… Lapis was still… so hot!

Lapis was laying in her own bed, wondering about Peridot’s reaction. Was she finally ready to surrender? It was about time, she was getting tired of the small girl constantly slipping through her fingers…

Lapis gulped, wanting to kick herself for admitting it, but she couldn’t help finding Peridot attractive on so many levels; she really wanted her. She was small, but her proportions were perfect; even her chest was bigger than Lapis’. Her butt wasn’t bad either. Lapis flushed a little when she noticed that she was thinking about Peridot’s butt again… It seemed altogether strange to her: she was very different from Jasper, yet she still felt the desire building up day by day.

Lapis sighed, wondering if it would be completely immoral for her to spend the night with Peridot, just to know… what she was like. She hadn’t been with someone in a while and she somehow ached for it. But she couldn’t just walk over to Peridot and hop in her bed… Not after last night… Lapis sighed, asking herself why everything had to be that difficult. Why couldn’t cold people and slightly annoying people just have sex if they were attracted to each other?

“Lapis?”

Lapis sat up bold in bed as Peridot’s silhouette hovered at the door.

“I’m really sorry to bother you but since you were already awake… where can I get an extra blanket? It’s a bit chilly…”

Lapis narrowed her eyes.

“It’s really hot…” She said. “What, were you raised in the desert?” She paused as she saw Peridot shivering. “The cupboard above the entrance door.”

She watched from her room as Peridot moved towards the door, muttering a *thank you* and made an attempt to reach the cupboard. Lapis sighed.

“Come back.” She said. “Just take mine. I’m not cold, I’m actually really hot so you’ll do me a favor if you take away my blanket.”

“Are you sure?” Peridot asked, coming in.

“Yeah… Here.” Lapis pulled the blanket off her bed and threw it at Peridot, who barely caught it in the air. But Peridot stood there motionless again, staring at Lapis, who was now laying on her bed without covers. She looked so… desirable.

“Lapis…” Peridot said, softly.

“Oh… just…” Lapis walked over and threw the blanket on the floor. “Let’s just get this over with, shall we? I hate this sexual tension, I can’t think clearly!” She grabbed Peridot’s arm and pulled her towards the bed. “Let’s sleep together!”

“Whaaaa…?” Peridot’s heart almost stopped as Lapis sat down and pulled her towards her, so that she stood between her legs.

“Let’s just have sex and get on with our lives. I’m pretty sure we both want that.” Lapis gently drew her hands under Peridot’s T-shirt and moved them upwards, placing them on her breasts. Peridot made a funny choking noise and Lapis laughed, pulling her closer

“Come on, Peridot, I know you want me.”

She tugged at the end of Peridot’s T-shirt and then gently lifted it over her head, dropping it on the floor beside the sheets. Peridot let out a small gasp as Lapis moved her head towards her and softly kissed her breasts.

“You’re so… pretty.” Lapis found she had less difficulty saying it at that moment. “I mean… look at these perfect round…”

A that moment Peridot knew her fight was over. She could not put it up any longer.

“Lapis…” Peridot whispered. “… more.”

“Oh so you’re giving orders now?” Lapis stroked one of her breasts softly with the tip of her finger. “That’s not how I play.”

“…More.” Peridot begged her, in a whisper.

“I am in control here.” Lapis dropped on her knees in front of Peridot and clasped her hands around the smaller girl’s waist. “Not you.”

Peridot dropped on her knees beside her and kissed Lapis’ neck with such passion that the blue haired girl let out a muffled moan.

“God, Peridot! Where did you learn to kiss like that?” A happily surprised Lapis pushed her away and climbed on the bed, lying down. “Come.”

Peridot obeyed and bent over Lapis, moving once again towards her neck. She kissed it gently and then went down more roughly, making Lapis cry out.

“Did I hurt you?” Peridot asked, worried.

“Hurt me?” Lapis took Peridot’s face between her hands. “This is how I like it.” And she removed her crop top. “Now work on these babies.”

Peridot turned scarlet but then she bent down and gently kissed her breasts, massaging her collarbone with her hands. Lapis sighed profoundly and felt goose bumps of pleasure appear on her arms.

“Rougher, Peridot, trust me.” She whispered. “I want you to scratch, I want you to bite…” She threw her arms backwards, so that they rested on her pillow. “I’m all yours.”

Peridot obeyed and in a moment, Lapis’ loud moans filled the room, triggering them both to continue. Peridot moved down, kissing her stomach and gently tugged at her panties. Lapis grinned.

“Just take them off.” She muttered.

Carefully, Peridot did so and bent down between her legs, gently probing with her tongue. Lapis sat up bold.

“It’s really happening. We’re really doing this. No going back now.” She pinned Peridot to the bed with her body and kissed her. “I want this so much.”

“Me too…” Peridot whispered, and gasped as Lapis’ fingers reached under her shorts. She felt her stroke around gently and then rubbing, as if she knew Peridot’s body very well. Peridot threw her head backwards and sighed as Lapis’ tongue found her breasts again. She sucked on them hard as her fingers worked between her legs, and Peridot grasped the mattress in pleasure.

“Lapis…” She whispered.

Lapis moved down and continued the work with her tongue, moving faster every time. Peridot’s sighs had turned into moans and she stroked Lapis’ blue hair as she moved. After a few seconds, she felt release coming all over her body and with a big shudder, she allowed herself to relax. Panting, she observed as Lapis bent over her to kiss her.

“You’re cute.” Lapis mumbled. “Your little moans turned me on bad.” She kissed her neck gently. “What are you going to do about that?”

“Everything.” Peridot sat up and grabbed Lapis’ arms, moving her towards the mattress. “Anything.” She pinned her down just like she had done before and moved back between her legs, sucking gently all the while pinning her arms. Lapis cried out and in no time, she was done. The both lay down beside each other, panting.

“God, Peridot…” Lapis sighed. “I needed that.”

“Me too…” Peridot mumbled. “I wanted you so bad.”

“You should have come to my room sooner.” Lapis told her. “I may be an asshole to you but… I really did want you from practically the beginning.”

“That’s nice.” Peridot smiled a little. “You’re not an asshole, though.”

“Yes I am.” Lapis grinned and they both burst out laughing. The taller one drew an arm around the other and held her close. “But I do like cuddling once in a while.”

“I suppose that’s okay.” Peridot let out a small laugh and rested her head on her chest. “I think you’re…” She yawned a little. “Pretty awesome.”

“Thanks.” Lapis barely knew what to feel. It had been… great… who knew that that little nerd could make her enjoy so much… on the other hand… She had to know that it was just that… The blue haired girl turned towards her.

“Peridot?”

“Hm?”

“I hope you know… this was fun and we can do it again, but…” She stroked the small girl’s hair gently. “I can’t be in a relationship… a relationship just screws things up… I just want this, I just want to feel good. No feelings, no compromises, no suffering. Just tell me now if you can’t handle it…”

Peridot was quiet for a while. The only reason those words hadn’t hit her like a thousand knives was because she had suspected that from the first day Lapis had started showing interest. She had known all along, she had accepted it… Right?

“It’s okay, I guess.” She muttered. “No relationship, just this… I get it.” She snuggled against Lapis, burying her face in her neck. “I can totally handle it, don’t worry.”

Lapis smiled a little and held her even closer. Somehow, Peridot was so sweet an innocent… she felt safe and comfortable with her.

“Good.”

“Good.”

The two girls dozed off eventually, holding each other, something that from the outside could have been viewed as a true image of pureness. Only they knew deep down how dangerous it was what they were doing, although neither of them wanted to accept that.

Far away from that part of town, Jasper had gone jogging in the middle of the night, unable to sleep after her argument with Lapis that day. The girl had been going on for hours, only occasionally resting on benches in parks. She turned to sport and other physical activities whenever she felt sadness coming up, and it had been a hard day for her. She knew her words had been too harsh, even if Lapis had pretended to remain unimpressed… Jasper just hoped Peridot wouldn’t have to pay for the consequences or her actions…

The big girl sighed as rain started falling from the sky again. She knew then that this was madness and that she had to head home, so she took off in the direction of her apartment. Tomorrow would be another day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Brecciated Jasper
> 
> Jasper reminisces about her past with Lapis and heads off to a place she hasn't visited in a long time. Peridot and Lapis continue their new arrangement but end up worrying about their friend.


	6. Brecciated Jasper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jasper meets someone new while remembering her past with Lapis. Lapis and Peridot try and handle their new thing in the best way possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's a little shorter! 
> 
> Who do you think is the blonde at the nightclub? e_e (My Pearl Meets World readers will probably suspect it)
> 
> I'm really happy at everyone's positive reactions. The readers are the true inspiration of every fanfic <3

** Chapter Five **

** Brecciated Jasper **

****

Lapis opened her eyes and for a moment, she had no idea where she was. The girl mumbled something unintelligible and drew her hand in front of her eyes to protect her from the sunlight that was shining on her face. After a few minutes of waking up while blinking profusely, she realized she was in Peridot’s room and that somehow, the sun was shining in through the window in the stairwell. She sat up in bed and looked around; there was no sign of the small girl.

It had been a strange couple of days. At first, she and Peridot had tried to pretend that everything was normal, but neither felt that it was that way, so in the end, both of them ended up accepting that they had started something new… Unintended, unlabeled… but new at the least.

This, however, wasn’t the strangest thing. Lapis was finding Jasper’s silence exasperating in terms she couldn’t even describe anymore. Even when they had broken up, they hadn’t been that distant. For the first time in half a year, Lapis was worried, not for her own feelings, but for Jasper’s as well… Because even if her ex had been a little edgy that day, Lapis’ usual bad humor had done nothing to help. It was, and would always be her fault that Jasper was gone.

The blue haired girl sighed and got out of bed, stretching profusely and peeking at Peridot’s things. She opened one of the drawers containing her clothes and rummaged though her underwear, smirking. Apparently, the nerd didn’t only have The Lion King prints but also owned a secret stash of panties with aliens all over them. Lapis tried on a couple and giggled in front of the mirror. She actually really liked the last pair: they were grey and had a big fluorescent green alien on the front.

“I am keeping these.” She said, a grin on her face, and pulled on her usual sweatpants. Just as she was hunting for her crop top, she heard the key in the door and a neatly dressed Peridot came in, placing a bag of groceries on the mantelpiece near the entrance. She glanced over at Lapis and raised an eyebrow.

“Did you… just wake up?” She asked. “It’s half past one…”

“Really?” Lapis said, in a bored voice. “When did you even leave?”

“Nine thirty…” Peridot sighed. “You know, we had history at eleven today…”

“I thought first period was cancelled… or did I dream that?” Lapis muttered, scratching her head.

“Yeah. First period, also known as _from nine to eleven_.” Peridot walked past her room and left the groceries on the kitchen counter. “Thank God you’re smart.” She called from the other side of the house. Lapis, fully dressed now, walked towards the living room, grinning. Peridot was busy storing everything that she had bought.

“Smart and pretty.” She muttered. “And also nice; I believe I’m what people call a _triple threat_.”

“Nice?” Peridot turned around, an ironic expression on her face. “You could spice this food with your saltiness.”

Lapis walked towards her and prodded her in the ribs.

“Careful… just because our intimacy has reached a new level, it doesn’t mean you can just… express your opinions about me like that…” She grabbed Peridot’s waist. “Nerd.”

Peridot smiled a little and drew away, with a sigh.

“Heard anything from Jasper?”

Lapis sighed as well.

“No.”

“I’m really worried.” Peridot muttered. “She won’t answer my texts.”

“She’s ignoring me too… but I guess that’s normal.” Lapis looked away. “I really pissed her off this time.”

The two of them stared in silence at the balcony windows for a while, before deciding to make lunch. Unless Jasper said something soon, it was going to be a long week.

 

                                        *               *                *

 

The tall blonde was twirling again, making her friends laugh in the smoky atmosphere of the nightclub. She still hadn’t glanced over once, making Jasper happy. She felt relieved when someone didn’t look at her with desire; it happened all too often and it made it seem weird and unreal. All of her friends had performed a sneak peak though and Jasper wondered if she should just finish her drink and leave, but that one blonde girl who didn’t seem to give a rat intrigued her… She liked people like that, who remained distant and mysterious, never really letting you know if they were into you… people like Lapis.

Almost a year ago, Jasper had had her first encounter with Lapis in that very nightclub, when she had come to party with her biker friends. Lapis had been somebody’s plus one and they had officially been introduced on the nightclub’s roof garden. At that moment Jasper had been dating one of her biker gang, Vidalia, but their relationship had been pretty rocky and they broke up that very night, leaving Jasper meditating alone on the roof. That was when Lapis had approached her.

“You… uh… are in my University classes, right?” She had muttered, pulling nervously on her short leather jacket. Jasper hadn’t recognized her in the first place, but after a while she remembered the blue hair and all the sitting at the back of the class.

“Yeah.” She had said. “Lapis, right?”

“Yeah.”

They had both been silent for a while, but after a few minutes, Lapis had tried to approach her again.

“I’m sorry… for your breakup.”

“That’s okay.” Jasper had answered, a bit too quickly. Then they had both looked away, blushing, hardly understanding that instant attraction. After that, they had sat together all night on the roof, speaking about simple things like what series they had binge-watched and what music they preferred… It had been nice. Jasper remembered it as if it were yesterday… She could see it in front of her all too clearly.

Dawn had come all too soon that day and as they had walked down towards the street, Lapis had slipped a piece of paper with her phone number in Jasper’s pocket. She hadn’t found it until the following day, but the big girl could still remember the joy in her heart when she did. They had gone for a couple of coffees after that and one thing led to another.

Jasper stared at her drink, trying to erase all those moments out of her head but they just popped up like small screens: Lapis and her walking in the park and trying to take a selfie by the fountain, Lapis and her cuddling on the couch watching all seven seasons of House with an endless tower of snacks at their feet… Lapis and her ripping each other’s clothes off in the corridor…

It wasn’t love, not anymore. Jasper looked back at the group of girls dancing at the far end of the room and sighed. Sometimes she thought that Lapis’ love for her hadn’t been real for a very long time, just a toxic memory of getting used to something, which made her suspect her thoughts were the same: She didn’t love Lapis anymore, she cared about her. She didn’t feel guilty anymore, she just wanted her to be happy. But how could Lapis ever be happy if she couldn’t even begin to accept that her present feelings were just a corrupted memory? Just a habit?

Jasper stood up and headed towards the big iron staircase that led to the roof of the nightclub. For once she didn’t mind the steep climb and when she arrived at the top, she was reworded with an empty terrace. She sat down and let out a large sigh.

“I’m so pathetic…” She muttered to herself. “Why did I get all pissed on Lapis the other day? It’s not like I can’t handle her moodiness…”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the slamming of the rooftop door and she jerked her head upwards, startled. Her eyes widened when she saw that it was the blonde from before… She was even more stunning from up close: her hair was very shiny and it made a nice bob at her shoulder. Her bangs were uneven, not unlike Vidalia’s, all that time ago… She was wearing shiny black leggings, high heels and a loose yellow tank top… Jasper looked away, wondering if she was staring too much.

“Stupid fucked up heels.” The girl muttered, sitting down on the floor and checking her left shoe… the heel was broken. She turned towards Jasper. “Oh, sorry, I thought no one was up here…”

“It’s okay, I come here to swear all the time.” Jasper smirked. The girl laughed softly and got up, trying to walk on her broken heel.

“I guess… I’m done dancing for tonight.” She muttered. She turned towards Jasper again. “What are you doing up here? Did your shoes betray you too?”

“I’d look a bit silly in heels, wouldn’t I?” Jasper laughed. “I’m just sitting.”

“Hey, I think they’d look pretty great on you.” The girl grinned.

Jasper smiled and stood up.

“I have a couple of extra shoes with me… I always keep my running shoes in my bag.” She said. “I have them downstairs, at the counter… If you want them…”

“You run? Me too!” The girl seemed excited. “And I’d be so grateful… I’d return them after the nightclub closes…”

“Just take them.” Jasper waved her hand. “Nobody should be walking home on those heels…”

“Fine, but then…” The girl took out a piece of paper and a pen and scribbled something on it, handing it later to Jasper. “This is my number, I’ll get you your shoes back.”

After ten minutes, the blond girl was dancing again, this time in Jasper’s running shoes, while the big girl sat at the bar, smiling. Some people were just – in Peridot’s vocabulary – _precious cinnamon rolls_.

Or at least, before you got to know them.

 

                                        *               *                *

A violent thunderstorm had broken lose over the outskirts of town. Lapis couldn’t sleep and she kept staring at her phone, checking Jasper’s suspicious online status at four am. What was going on? Where was she? Lapis sighed deeply.

A knock on the door returned her to reality and she raised an eyebrow as Peridot came in. She looked at her, inquisitively.

“It’s late… Why are you in my room?” She fired. The small girl turned red.

“I can’t sleep.” She muttered. “Can I… sleep with you?”

Lapis groaned.

“Aren’t you a bit too old to still be afraid of thunder?” A loud one crashed right over them and Peridot whimpered. Lapis felt her heart soften. “Okay, you can come.”

Peridot hurried towards the bed and with a jump, huddled next to Lapis, who drew her arms around her to make her feel safe. As yet another thunder boomed right over them, Peridot buried her face in Lapis’ neck, seeking ultimate protection.

“Stop being cute.” Lapis muttered. “I don’t do cute.”

“I’m not trying to be cute, I just don’t like thunder.” Peridot mumbled, shivering next to her. Lapis instinctively hugged her tighter, making the small girl smile.

“You’re being silly and immature. I can’t believe I’m still letting you live here, I was much happier alone, this is ridiculous.” Lapis grumbled, stroking her hair gently.

“I can go back to my own room if you want me to.” Peridot said softly. “I’ve had to face thunder on my own for most of my life…”

“Yes, you could go back to your room.” Lapis said calmly. “I mean, a little thunder shouldn’t be scaring you at your age and I’m not your mother…”

“Well, I guess I’ll get going then.” Peridot made no sign of moving and Lapis wouldn’t let her go either. They both remained hugging each other in silence until the gaps between the thunder became wider. After some time, only the heavy rain could be heard.

“Lapis?” Peridot whispered.

“Hm?”

“Can you stroke my hair again?”

“What are you, a cat? Do you need to have your ears scratched? It didn’t come with your instructions file…”

“It’s just… really comforting.”

“Fine.”

Lapis started stroking her hair gently again, wondering if her relationship with Peridot was going the way she planned or not. On the one hand, the small girl seemed to grant her every whish… but on the other… Peridot seemed to need her more every single day, which worried Lapis. Did she not understand the meaning of casual sex?

But was it all that casual? Lapis didn’t know herself… sure, she didn’t want to make it more complicated but she didn’t remain completely unfeeling towards the small girl… She cared about her, in some way…

She held her in her arms until morning and then let Peridot sleep on as she prepared some breakfast for herself. After a few minutes, she realized the small girl wasn’t going to be ready on time and made her some toast. She placed it nearly on a plate and brought it towards the bedroom, gently prodding Peridot awake. The small girl looked up and got the plate of toast shoved in her hands.

“Eat up, it’s late.” Lapis said, and left the room, making the small girl stare after her in surprise.

“Wow.” She muttered, under her breath.

The two of them ran out out the house that morning, dodging puddles of rainwater left and right, trying to reach the subway unharmed. As they crossed the ticket barriers, the train came in so they raced down the stairs and caught it just in time. They sat down, laughing.

“Well, we made it. Now we still need to make it through Political Studies this morning.” Lapis smiled. “Did you bring the photocopies we had to… bring?”

“You know I did.” Peridot put on a seductive voice, sending them both into fits of giggles. Lapis let out a sigh.

“Well I didn’t. I’ll have to sit next to you in class.”

Peridot looked up, surprised.

“Really?”

Lapis laughed, nudging the small girl softly in the ribs with her elbow.

“Why not? Come to the back of the class, it’ll be a different perspective.”

After some time, the train pulled in at the University Station and they walked up the path towards their faculty. When they reached the classroom, they both headed to the back, much to their friends’ surprise. Amethyst shifted 360º in her seat, and poked Pearl in her head. Ignoring her roommate’s infuriated splutter, she pointed to the back of the classroom, making Pearl stare as well.

“Check it out… P-dot’s hanging out with Lapis Lazuli.”

“How did that happen?” Pearl squinted a little, as if she doubted her own eyesight.

“Well, we’re roommates and we hang out all the time.” Amethyst winked at her.

“Speak for yourself.” Pearl looked around. “Where’s Jasper?”

“No idea… she hasn’t been online for a couple of days… neither has Peri…” Amethyst looked suddenly worried. “Maybe something bad happened to them… You know… as in a fight?”

“Jasper’s too rational to get into a fight…” Pearl sighed, still checking out Peridot and Lapis. “She’s always so calm and above any situation… You’d have to make her really mad for her to lash out…”

“Well, maybe something happened with Lapis… You remember how she was when they were dating…” Amethyst narrowed her eyes. “I’ve only seen her suffer.”

“But she dumped her, I mean…” Pearl looked at Amethyst. “… Jasper has no reason to get into an argument with Lapis… right?”

Amethyst looked away, thinking hard, but she didn’t have an answer. Garnet, however, who was sitting at her other side, did have something to say.

“Lapis has been going through some emotional problems lately but it seems she’s been hanging out with Peridot more and more. Jasper’s probably worried about our little friend.”

Pearl and Amethyst both let out a loud “ooooooooh” and looked back at the two girls, who were laughing while checking the photocopies. But before anything else could be said, their Politics teacher came in and slumped a big old volume on his desk. The class sighed; it was going to be one of those _reading_ days.

Jasper didn’t arrive until after lunch and she was pretty silent in Language and Translation class. Amethyst, the only one of the gang who had also chosen Mandarin as a first language, took the opportunity to sit next to her and interrogate her.

“Don’t.” Jasper warned, before she could even open her mouth.

“How did you…?” Amethyst looked away. “Fine. But we’re all worried.”

“Tell everyone not to worry.” Jasper smiled. “I’m fine, there’s just something I have to do after class today.”

Amethyst sighed and quietly texted Pearl and Garnet, who were in Korean and Japanese respectively. Pearl sent her a picture of Lapis staring out of the window and she snorted. Garnet just answered with her usual thumbs up.

After classes, Peridot and Lapis headed towards the subway and said their goodbyes, for Lapis had to go to the cafeteria.

“I’ll be home at nine, my shift ends early today.” She smiled. “Have the popcorn ready, synchronized swimming starts today.”

“You can count on it.” Peridot grinned. “I’ll see you later.” And she disappeared down the stairs, making Lapis laugh. Oh Peridot, she was so sweet sometimes.

The blue haired girl started walking towards the café, wondering if it would be a quiet day. Somehow, she felt she didn’t mind crowdy days that much anymore, but she still preferred a chill afternoon to a busy one…

She arrived soon and tied on her apron, smiling at her colleagues, who looked a little surprised. She paid no mind to them and started drying the glasses, whistling something softly.

“Lapis?”

She looked up, only to see Jasper staring at her from behind the bar. She quietly left what she was doing and walked slowly towards her, a slight frown on her face. It was a bit awkward, but she had known Jasper would come to her eventually.

“Yes?”

“I…” Jasper sunk her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket. “I came to say I’m sorry for lashing out the other day…”

“It’s already forgotten.” Lapis stared into her eyes. “It was my fault anyway.”

Jasper looked surprised.

“That’s… really cool of you.”

“Well, you are my friend.” Lapis started cleaning the countertop with a rag. “And you always will be.”

Jasper smiled.

“That means a lot.”

“Coming from me?”

“Yeah.”

They laughed a little and Lapis looked up.

“Do you wanna come home for supper? Peri and I are going to watch synched swimming.”

“DO I?” Jasper laughed. “You know I love watching girls in…” She paused, going a little red. “If it’s okay.”

“Come.” Lapis smiled. “Peridot’s been worried. She’ll be happy to see you.”

And so, both girls headed out towards the subway after Lapis’ shift and rode all the way to the outskirts. As they approached the brick flats, Jasper felt a warm feeling in her heart. Somehow, her relationship with Lapis seemed different now, less bitter and more friendly. She wondered what was going on.

As they opened the apartment door, a heavy smell of popcorn hit them and Peridot came hopping enthusiastically towards them. She froze for a second when she saw the unexpected presence of Jasper, but than ran to hug her.

“I was so worried! And so were Amethyst and the others! Have you not seen the group chat?” She exclaimed. “What the hell, Jasper, don’t disappear like that!”

“Sorry.” The big girl ruffled her hair. “Anyway, where are those swimmers?”

The three of them laughed and huddled on the couch together, watching the championships. They hadn’t felt that light hearted and happy in ages, so it was quite the relaxing evening. But Peridot had a nagging thought in her brain that made her feel insecure before Lapis and Jasper’s warm behavior towards each other. The small girl hugged her knees with her arms and wondered if she maybe felt a little jealous.

When the program had finished, Jasper turned towards them.

“Well, I’d better head out. It’s a long walk till the night bus…”

“Don’t be silly, just stay here.” Lapis said.

And she did.

 

***                 *                   ***

 

Peridot sighed deeply wondering why she felt a knot in her throat. She knew Lapis still liked Jasper and she knew that her own relationship with her… wasn’t a relationship. But it still hurt her like a knife sinking deeply into her guts.

Jasper was sleeping in the other room, with Lapis, and Peridot knew for sure that she had never felt so bitter in her life.

Lapis, though, wasn’t feeling so good either as she lay next to Jasper for the first time in months. The big girl seemed comfortable though and placed an arm around her, making Lapis jerk away.

“What are you doing.”

“Sorry.” Jasper whispered. “You know I always need to cuddle when I sleep… And there aren’t any plushy animals nearby.”

“Jasper, I’m done being your plushy animal.” Lapis hissed. “You’re a big girl now. Also, don’t hug me when we’re in bed, it’s what the kids call… _too soon_.”

Jasper sighed.

“After tonight, I thought we could just be normal friends again…”

“We can…” Lapis muttered. “Today was a big step… But Jasper, you have to stop worrying about me, you have to stop treating me as a porcelain vase, about to break. I know it’s hard but I’m not weak; I can handle this. You just need to give me more time and more space… So don’t hug me, don’t ruffle my hair… All those things will come back, but not today.” She sighed. “I want us to be friends again, but all in due time.” And she left the bed, heading for Peridot’s room, where she found the small girl in a fetal position, facing the wall. Lapis crept under the sheets and hugged her from behind, nuzzling her face in her neck.

“I’m sorry.” She whispered.

“Why?” Peridot asked.

“For sleeping with Jasper… well… we didn’t sleep sleep with each other… But…”

“Lapis.” Peridot sounded serious. “You don’t have to apologize and you don’t have to justify… That was all part of our deal, wasn’t it?” Lapis froze. “I mean… this is what you wanted, right?”

“I…” Lapis hugged her tighter. “Yes… but I really want you to know that nothing happened and it never will…”

“That’s… none of my business.” Peridot’s voice shook a little, but then she turned around and Lapis saw tears streaming from her big green eyes. The small girl started to sob and she buried her face in her chest. Lapis held her close and kissed the top of her head, feeling something different growing inside her. It was pain – she was familiar with that – but it wasn’t her own. For the first time in a very long period, she was experiencing empathy and sorrow seeing Peridot cry like that, and she didn’t like it. How was it even possible that Peridot’s pain could hurt more than her own? Lapis felt coldness creep over her heart and tried to shake those new feelings away, but they stayed put, mixed with fear and guilt. She felt awful.

“I’m sorry… I’m just so relieved…” Peridot stared at her. “I think you would have really felt bad if you had slept with Jasper.”

Dear sweet innocent Peridot. Lapis kissed her on the cheek and wrapped the sheets around her; she was so adorable… And she had even managed to hide her jealousy on a professional way – only Pearl could do that – which made it even harder to cope with. Lapis drew the small girl close to her and shut her eyes, wondering if Jasper knew where she had gone. She’d have to do a lot of explaining in the morning…

Jasper stood quietly by the door; she had watched the entire scene. She wasn’t sure what to feel, as Lapis had been the sweetest person ever towards the sobbing Peridot. And the way she had handled her little wave of jealousy… impressive. Jasper had never been able to do that. But on the other hand, they were sleeping together… she had suspected it, but now it had been confirmed. Jasper groaned as she went back to bed; if Peridot was already falling apart now, it wouldn’t be long until she herself had to come and pick up the pieces… The big girl rested her head on the cushion, sighing deeply. If only Lapis could get over her own issues and start something new with Peridot… that would actually make everyone happy.

But life wasn’t magical and miracles hardly ever happened… Jasper knew there was not much hope when it came to Lapis; there wasn’t enough empathy in her to ever care about anyone else in a way that was expected between couples… Or at least, it wasn’t something she had ever experienced with her.

The morning sun dried the last of the puddles and the sky rose tall above the city, with not a single cloud in the sky. Finally, the rainy days had come to an end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Never Have I Ever
> 
> (Sorry for the delay, I'm in Holland now and writing/uploading is quite sporadic :ccc )
> 
> Lapis, Peridot and Jasper meet up with Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, Rose, Greg and Dewey.


	7. Never Have I Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After a wild night with the squad, Lapis realizes something about her relationship with Peridot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this took a while. I'm in Holland with my family now, but I actually had some time to finish the chapter and upload it this afternoon. Most of it has been written in the 'plane and at my grandmother's house, so I don't know how this turned out. It's more of a dialogue chapter this time.
> 
> By the way, remember this is chapter 6, not 7. The prologue was supposed to be chapter 1 or whatever. 
> 
> I hope you enjoy this and thanks for sticking by!!! You're awesome!!!

** Chapter Six **

** Never Have I Ever **

****

Two figures stood motionless on the small balcony facing the street, their hair moved slightly by the wind, one blue and one ash. There was a cool breeze, freshened by the recent rain, and Lapis shivered slightly.

“So…” Jasper muttered.

“So…” Lapis added.

They had been standing there for a while, unsure of what words to utter to each other. They both knew what the other was going to say and didn’t want to start another fight. Lapis sighed and looked at Jasper.

“I know you’re mad…”

“Just.” Jasper placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t hurt her.”

Lapis nodded.

“I would never do that. She’s okay with this…” She looked away, not daring to meet the big girl’s eyes.

“Is she?” Jasper growled. “How long before she breaks down, Lapis? What are you, her first love?”

“She doesn’t love me… Love takes time to build up.” Lapis muttered, still looking away.

“There are many kinds of love.” Jasper sighed. “It might start as a crush, but Lapis, you’re sleeping with her. She will create an emotional bond with you, weather she wants it or not. And will you be ready to handle it then?”

“Look.” Lapis rested her arms on the railing. “Yesterday you saw me slip into Peridot’s room. You saw her crying. You have seen the downside to this relationship before you’ve experienced the good things… I come home every night to a roommate who takes care of me on a way that… not many people ever have… She’s so thoughtful… She always makes dinner and she knows I like drinking cocoa afterwards so before I can even start preparing it, I already find a mug on the coffee table… That’s what you wanted, right? You wanted me not to feel alone anymore…”

Jasper sighed deeply.

“And what do you give her?” She asked, solemnly.

“I…” Lapis hung her head. “I don’t know, but Jasper… I’m very fond of her.”

“How could you not be? I told you that when I insisted you take her as a roommate…” Jasper slid a hand through her hair. “I just… never expected this.”

“Do you think we’re making a big deal out of something small?” Lapis asked, frowning at the street. “I mean, I get it – you’re worried. But Peridot’s old enough to know what she’s doing.”

“I’m done here.” Jasper turned around and went inside. “You have my blessing. I can’t speak about this anymore, I’ll just get mad again.” She headed towards the kitchen and took a glass out of the cupboards, filling it at the sink. She gulped it up and turned towards Lapis again, who had also entered. “Is Peri still sleeping?”

“Why?”

“I’m having lunch with the squad today and I should bring her along.”

Lapis shrugged and entered Peridot’s room, where the small girl was still sleeping, curled up in a ball hugging the sheets. She took a moment to appreciate the pureness of her posture and then walked over and gently kissed her on the cheek. Peridot made a little noise and turned around, burying her face into the cushion. Lapis laughed and shook her awake with her hand.

“Yo.” She said, as Peridot rubbed her eyes, looking confused. “Do you know what time it is?”

“I don’t know anything without my glasses.” Peridot groped around the night table, in the hopes to find them.

“It’s almost twelve, you should get up, don’t you think?”

“I can’t think without my glasses either.”

Lapis chuckled and placed Peridot’s glasses neatly on her nose. The small girl seemed satisfied and smiled. Lapis moved towards her and brushed her lips slightly with her own, making the small girl blush.

“What about Jasper?”

“She knows.”

“Oh crud…”

“It’s okay.” Lapis ruffled her hair. “She’ll be cool. Oh and…” She laughed. “Our big beef wants you to go have lunch with her and… _the squad_.”

“Big beef?” Peridot chuckled. She moved to the side of the bed and gently put on her prosthetic leg. She felt quite comfortable doing that in front of Lapis now.

“The beefiest.” Lapis winked at her and they both laughed. “Just kidding, but yeah… You should go and have lunch.”

“What about you?” Peridot changed neatly into one of her Zelda T-shirts.

“Oh I have a date with Fringe, the Couch and Chinese Takeaway.” Lapis smiled. “Don’t you worry.”

She and Peridot left the room, walking towards the kitchen where Jasper was munching on an apple.

“Jasper, ew. Those have literally been there forever.” Lapis looked at the fruit bowl in disgust. “Nasty.”

“Hey, how would I know?” Jasper looked at her apple. “This one seems fine.”

“It’s okay, Jasper, I eat fruit and I refresh the bowl regularly.” Peridot took another apple and smiled. “I can be healthy too, sometimes. Where are we going for lunch?”

“The Flying Dragon.” Jasper said, innocently. Peridot choked on her apple.

“Are you kidding me? That has to be the worst restaurant in town!”

“Yeah, and the cheapest. They serve Chinese and Japanese food together and if you pay nine bucks you can eat all you want.” Jasper grinned.

“The quality’s atrocious.” Peridot added, looking at Lapis. “But… I guess it’s tasty.”

“Wow.” Lapis said, slyly. “Jasper violating a health code and Peridot being all against it. That’s new.”

“I usually don’t eat trash, but when I do… It’s the Flying Dragon.” Jasper laughed. She looked at Lapis. “Wanna come?”

“That’s ok, go have fun.” Lapis looked away. “I don’t really know the squad very well.”

“No, no! It’s a perfect opportunity for you to get to know them better!” Peridot piped up, excitedly. “Oh Lapis, do come! It’ll be fun!”

Lapis stared at them both, studying the hopeful expressions on their faces, and felt her heart warm up. Thanks to Peridot, she was experiencing emotions like that more often… people were making her feel wanted again.

“Okay.” She smiled. “I’ll go.”

“Yes!” Peridot and Jasper high-fived and threw their cores in the dustbin, laughing happily. In less then half an hour, they all left the house together.

The flying dragon was somewhere downtown, not far from the café where Lapis worked. It was quite a big restaurant and it was always crowded, therefore, most times they had to wait outside until a table came free. But today was a quiet day and they didn’t have to wait at all. Jasper, Lapis and Peridot met the others right outside.

Pearl was leaning against the wall, looking unexpectedly cool that day. Instead of her usual leggings and long T-shirts, she was wearing waist-high shorts and a tank-top. She had a pair of what looked like Amethyst’s sunglasses perched on her head and her arms were crossed. She seemed quite at ease, even though Rose and Greg were standing pretty close to her. Amethyst and Garnet were thumb-wrestling and even though the second remained impassive, it seemed rather intense.

“YO SQUAD WHAT UP!” Jasper bellowed across the street and everyone looked up, amused.

“God, you can’t take her anywhere.” Lapis muttered and Peridot chuckled. Pearl, still leaning against the wall mumbled an ‘ _oh, honestly_.’

“YO JAZZBOMB!” Amethyst cried back and both Pearl and Lapis rolled their eyes. The two girls thumped each other on the back and they headed towards the others.

“So, y’all ready to eat?” Jasper winked at them.

“Yeahhh.” Amethyst and Greg, moving towards the entrance.

“Waaaait…” Garnet held up her hand. “We’re still waiting for Dewey.”

“Dewey?” Jasper laughed. “Guys…”

“Hey, he’s alright!” Greg cried. “He’s my bud and it’s good for him to make some friends…”

“Not to mention y’all brought him along for Pearl.” Amethyst hissed under her breath.

“Yeah.” Pearl laughed bitterly. “Like that’s gonna work… I mean… really people?”

Jasper turned to Lapis.

“She reminds me of someone.”

Lapis punched her in the arm and immediately regretted doing so as she only managed tu hurt her own knuckles.

“Hey, you brought Lapis!” Amethyst walked around the blue-haired girl, like an excited dog. “Yo what up.”

“Hey.” Lapis looked away, wondering if it had been a good idea to come. She sighed. She really hated crowds or groups of people she barely knew. Why had she accepted to come along again?

A small hand enclosed around her arm and she turned around to see Peridot’s smiling face. Her look was so reassuring that Lapis had to smile back. Why did the small girl always seem to know how she was feeling, foreseeing her every move? So different from Jasper, who had never had a clue… So different yet so appealing. Lapis drew an arm around Peridot and led her to the menu board, chuckling softly.

“So, what do you want to eat?”

“Oh I need _xiao long bao_.” Peridot pointed at the pictures, excitedly. “And _sushi_ , of course! And those chicken things! And maybe _gyoza_ … and oooooohhhh, I’ll have the _bapao_ as well…”

“Dough dough and more dough.” Lapis grinned. “I’m proud.”

Meanwhile, Amethyst was staring at them.

“Since when do those two get along?” She asked, slightly confused. “I mean, I’ve literally never seen them together… And now they’re even sitting next to each other in class and stuff …”

“Well that was a one-time thing.” Jasper muttered. “Peridot can’t handle sitting in the back. She likes being near the teachers.”

“Jealous much?” Pearl shot her a sly look.

“Jealous, me? No.” Jasper puffed and everyone laughed. “But you’re right, they have been spending more time together.” She narrowed her eyes, wondering what they would say if they knew just how much.

Pearl sighed and stared at the end of the street.

“Oh look, Dewey.” She said, faking excitement on such an obvious way that everyone smiled. She was a riot when she got all sardonic.

They had met Dewey alongside Greg, at a beach festival, and he had show interest for Pearl since the first moment, although she had always kept a distance, in disgust. That night, Rose and Greg had exchanged phone numbers and they had been hanging out ever since, but Dewey had stopped coming with them as Pearl never showed up. Little did he know how much the tall girl was suffering because of Rose, and if he had known, he had probably backed off as well. But only the squad knew about that, so he had joined them happily, knowing Pearl would be there.

He greeted everyone, blushing feverently, and they finally walked in, heading for a large table. Dewey sat down, leaving an empty space beside him for Pearl to sit, but she hurried to the other end of the table, finding a chair next to Lapis.

“Sorry for invading, but I do not want to sit with him.” She whispered.

“I don’t usually say this, but I totally get you.” Lapis held a thumbs up. She turned to Peridot, on her other side, and grinned. “Sitting next to you was a good idea, Peri. Now we can dig in all the _bapaos_ you order.”

“Don’t forget the Chinese sweet bread dipped in condensed milk.” Peridot licked her lips. “Man do I _suki_ that.”

“Is that Japanese?” Lapis asked.

“Yeah, it means _like_.” Peridot grinned.

“Oooh, _chuahae_.” Pearl and Lapis said together.

“That’s right, you’re both in Korean, huh?” Peridot smiled.

“Yeah, but weren’t you like in Chinese?” Lapis asked.

“I do Japanese as well. And I’m planning on taking Korean next year, I want to learn the three of them.”

“Woa.” Pearl smiled. “Just like me… I’ve done Japanese as well and I want to do Chinese next year.”

“You guys are crazy… I chose Korean because there are no fucking _kanji_ or _hanzi_.” Lapis sighed. “Well there are, but we just learn the normal alphabet.”

“You also chose Korean because you’re hooked to their TV dramas.” Jasper called, from the other side of the table. “How many times have you watched Flower Boys?”

“Boys over Flowers!” Lapis called back. “Leave me alone, I know what I’m doing!”

Everyone laughed and Jasper was happy to see that Lapis seemed relaxed for the moment. She hoped that it would stay that way. The blue haired girl was right: she had only seen the downside of their relationship; Lapis really did change with Peridot around and could handle situations much better.

A waiter came to their table, as they weren’t sitting at the turning-bar, and they started naming all the plates they wanted. After what seemed like an eternity, he finally went back to the kitchen and then plates started appearing pretty soon, making everyone groan in delight.

“MAN, am I hungry!” Amethyst stuffed four different sized dumplings in her mouth and looked at Pearl, who was sitting right in front of her. “Dwo wyou vwant vsome?”

“No, thanks.” Pearl started munching on some green beans. “You know I don’t do greasy stuff.”

“Oh I know.” Amethyst grinned.

After stuffing themselves with food, Jasper ordered some sake and they all started drinking shots. Lapis giggled happily next to Peridot, whose cheeks were flushing. Pearl was flushing a little as well, due to her low tolerance to alcohol.

“We should play a drinking game.” Amethyst suggested.

“At a restaurant?” Dewey seemed nervous.

“Yeahh.” Jasper raised her glass. “TRUTH OR DARE.”

“No way am I playing truth or dare in a restaurant.” Rose folded her arms. “Let’s do Never Have I Ever instead – it’s just talking.”

“Okaaaaay.” Amethyst looked up, excitedly. “Never have I ever had a crush on someone at this table!”

“Dude!” Jasper cried. “Way to spice things up!”

“It’s a talent. Now drink, you guys.”

Everyone except Garnet took a swig. They all laughed.

“Man, we’re practically an orgy.” Jasper grinned. “Am I next?” They nodded. “Okay so… never have I ever… had my first kiss with someone at this table.”

This time only Peridot and Lapis drank, making everyone laugh.

“This is so cute.” Pearl said. “And fairly suspicious.”

“Dude, no.” Amethyst grinned. “Lapis used to date Jasper, remember…” Then, it hit her and she stared at Pearl wide-eyed. “Ohhhhh wooooaaaa waaaait, PERIDOT?” She looked at the small girl. “PERICOPTER KISSED SOMEONE. I NEED TO KNOW WHOOOO FUUUCK.”

Everyone laughed and Peridot hid behind the table cloth.

“Okay okay, my turn.” Greg grinned. “Never have I ever known who Peridot has kissed.”

“You fuck.” Peridot took a swig, followed by Lapis and Jasper, who tried to remain impassive.

“Way to narrow it down, Greg!” Amethyst high-fived him across the chairs. “Come on, Dew, your turn!”

“Uhhhmmm… I’ll pass, I need to go to the bathroom.” Dewey stood up, nervously. He walked away. “Rose, you take my turn.”

“Oh okay…” Rose looked around. “Never have I ever… uhm… seen my roommate naked.”

Everyone burst out laughing and drank, grinning.

“WAIT!” Amethyst looked at Pearl. “YOU HAVE SEEN ME NAKED? WHEN, WHERE.”

“Try not walking around the house wearing nothing but… er… your skin, and I won’t be able to see you naked.” Pearl said, smugly. “Besides, you drinking is a lie… you’ve never seen me naked, I can guarantee that.”

“Uhm… It’s not my fault if you leave the shower door open.” Amethyst raised her hands. “Or that the mirror.. uhm… can be seen from the door…”

“WHAT.” Pearl froze, looking completely traumatized.

“HAHA.” Lapis guffawed. “Same thing at our place.” She winked at Peridot. “Do you remember? I think it was your first night there…”

Peridot went red as a beetroot while Jasper frowned. Pearl was still staring wide-eyed into the horizon, contemplating her whole life, probably.

“Chill, P, it’s okay.” Amethyst grinned. “I only saw you once by accident, it’s not like I stare from the corridor every evening or something… Besides, you were alright.” She held a thumbs up and everyone chuckled.

“Euurghh.” Pearl looked away, flushing deeply.

“Okay, my turn!” Peridot piped up, excitedly. “Never have I ever friendzoned someone.”

Everyone laughed and Pearl, Rose and Garnet drank, looking slyly at the others.

“Is it me now?” Lapis sighed. “Um… never have I ever had drunk sex with someone at this table.”

“OOOOHHHH MYYY GOOOOD!!!” Amethyst exclaimed, as everyone except Pearl, Garnet and herself drank. “This is amazing. Ooooh I’m dying to ask mine.”

“Well, it’s my turn.” Pearl winked at her. “Never have I ever wished I was dating someone else while I was in a relationship.”

Nobody drank this time, looking away awkwardly and Amethyst muttered a ‘nice try’ under her breath.

“Yeah… no…” Garnet looked up. “Let’s continue.”

“Okay!” Amethyst grinned. “Never have I ever kissed Jasper.”

Everyone looked surprised, but slowly, Pearl, Rose, Garnet and Lapis drank up.

“HOLY F…” Greg looked amazed. “WHEN HOW.”

“Ohh… I don’t know… SHE USED TO BE MY GIRLFRIEND.” Lapis glared around the table. “Seriously? All of them?”

“It was a truth or dare situation before you and I met.” Jasper grinned. “Relax.”

That seemed to calm her down but Amethyst was looking very sly indeed. Pearl frowned at her.

“What’s with you?”

“Well…” Amethyst chuckled. “I’ve just found out who Peridot has had her first kiss with… Remember how we narrowed it down to Jasper and Lapis?”

The entire table went silent and looked at Lapis and Peridot, who went a little pale.

“It… it was a truth or dare situation?” Lapis tried.

“Sure.” Amethyst winked at her.

Suddenly Dewey reappeared, looking a little sick.

“Guys… I have to go home… I think something went wrong in my…”

“Okay. Yeah.” Garnet stood up. “Let’s go.”

Once they had safely stuffed a sick Dewey into a taxi, they all stared at each other, not knowing what to do.

“You know… we could go for that truth or dare at our place.” Amethyst grinned. “I’ve just unleashed hell and I wanna ask some questions.”

“I’m in.” Pearl grinned, earning a surprised look from Rose. “Anyone else?”

“Oh you know I love that shit.” Jasper winked at them and then turned to Lapis and Peridot. “Well, guys?”

“Uhm…” Peridot looked at Lapis, waiting for a confirmation. The blue haired girl smiled and nodded.

“Yeah, sure, why not.” She grinned and drew an arm around the small girl. “Let’s go!!!”

They all headed towards the subway; it was getting dark already and it was almost time for supper. They had spent the whole afternoon at the restaurant… Garnet checked her watch and turned towards them.

“If you want supper, we should probably go and look now…”  
“Nah.” Jasper called out. “I’m still full…we should just drink.”

Everyone laughed except Lapis, who shot a disgusted look in her direction.

“God, I hate it when she gets like that.” She whispered to Peridot. “I mean… jeez, she’s a really bad drunk…”

“Yeah…” Peridot mumbled. “But you should let it go, it’s not like she’s talking to you directly…”

“I don’t care, she irritates me anyway.” Lapis let go of Peridot’s shoulder and took out her ticket in order to get through the barrier. “I’m so sick of pining over her beefy complexion…”

Peridot had gone quiet. The small girl softly put her ticket back in her pocket and stared motionless at the platform, not daring to meet the other girl’s eyes. Lapis frowned.

“Are you… okay?”

“Yes.” Peridot tried to smile brightly but failed, earning another frown from Lapis.

“Peridot?”  
But at that moment the train came rushing in and the group scattered around the doors, in order to get in. Jasper held the doors open for the group to get in, winking as they passed, making Lapis roll her eyes. She liked to show off her muscles when she was drunk. And they were awesome.

They sat in the train for a while, Amethyst and Jasper talking loudly and the others looking awkwardly around the carriage hoping no one could hear. After some time, they arrived at the university station and Garnet and Greg hopped on ahead in order to buy some booze at the little supermarket on campus. Pearl took out her key and entered the building, letting everybody in. They climbed all the floors up until reaching their apartment and then made themselves comfortable in the small living room.

“We got some vodka.” Amethyst said. “Let’s drink that while we wait.”

“Yeah, ok…” Pearl took out some glasses from the kitchen cabinet. “Where is the orange juice?”

“Uhm… I drank that for breakfast…”

“AMETHYST! We had TWO BOTTLES! TWO!”

“What? A girl gets thirsty.” Amethyst winked at her and Pearl walked away muttering under her breath. The rest giggled.

“Let’s just have a couple of shots before the others are back.” Rose suggested, sitting down on the couch beside Pearl, who squirmed. “How about that?”

“Fine with me.” Jasper poured them some shots and grinned. “Never have I ever wanted Peridot to explain exactly what happened.”

“Jasper!”

But everyone was laughing.

“Come on guys, if you’re a thing now, we wanna know.” Amethyst looked at Lapis and Peridot. “That would be so cool…”

Lapis stood up, her hair slipping backwards with the movement. She looked quite solemn.

“Yes. Stuff has happened. As I’m pretty sure it happens everywhere… I mean… Don’t you guys have a lot of things going on as well?” She glared at Jasper. “I want to play truth or dare now.”

After a short and awkward silence, Amethyst nodded.

“Yeah, okay…”

Lapis placed the empty vodka bottle on the table and made it spin. It landed on Pearl, who sighed.

“Pearl…?”

“Truth.”

“Pearl, are you in love with someone in this room?” Lapis asked slyly. The other girl hung her head.

“Yes.”

It was her turn to spin and it landed on Amethyst.

“Truth.” The girl muttered, which was surprising. She was more of the _dare type_.

“Uhm, okay…” Pearl said. “Amethyst, who do you find the most attractive person in this room?”

“Only you would call it _most attractive_ …” Amethyst sighed. “I’d just say sexy or hot. But yeah, I guess you are.”

“Me?” Pearl’s eyes widened.

“Yeah, I’ve seen you naked, remember.”

“AMETHYST!” Pearl beat her with a pillow and everyone laughed. Both girls were red in the face, but Amethyst still managed to spin the bottle and it fell on Peridot.

“Yes! Now I can get info.” She grinned.

“Oh yeah? WELL I PICK DARE!” Peridot exclaimed.

“OOOOh…” Amethyst laughed. “You have to touch Jasper’s boobs.”

“What? No.”

“YOU HAVE TO.”

“WHY JASPER? WHY HER BOOBS?”

“Just do it.” Lapis muttered. “Get it over with.”

Peridot closed her eyes and placed her hands on Jasper’s boobs for a second. Then, she ran to the other side of the room.

“I am NEVER doing that again.”

“What, you didn’t like what you felt?” Jasper laughed.

“Shut up.” Lapis muttered under her breath. “Don’t flirt with her.”

“Yo P-Dot! Come back, you have to spin the bottle!” Amethyst laughed and Peridot hurried back, red in the face. She spun the bottle and it landed on Amethyst once more.

“Good.” Peridot growled. “Now you have to touch Pearl’s boobs.”

“Nooo problem.” Amethyst cracked her knuckles while Pearl stood up, protecting her chest.

“N..n…no no no, no way!” She exclaimed, looking a little pale.

“Awww come on P!” Amethyst walked over. “It’s just a game.”

“I will not… I refuse… I…”

Amethyst took her wrists in her hands and spread her arms, pinning her against the wall. Everyone held their breath at the scene, for it was quite hot. But then, Amethyst kissed Pearl on the cheek and let go.

“It’s ok, nobody’s forcing you. I’ll just have a shot.” Amethyst grinned, and did so, leaving a very confused Pearl standing against the wall. After that, she spun the bottle and it landed on Jasper.

“Truth.”

“Which lucky girl has caught your eye of late?” Amethyst asked haughtily.

“Well…” Jasper glanced sideways at Lapis. “Someone did… I met someone at the club the other day, but it probably won’t be anything…” Ignoring the loud _ooooohhhh_ that followed, she looked away and spun the bottle quickly, not daring to meet Lapis’ eyes. It fell on Rose.

“Truth.” She smiled.

“Rose… what’s the best kiss you’ve ever had?”

“Ohhhh, definitely you.” Rose winked at her and laughed. “Nah, I honestly don’t know.” She spun the bottle and it fell on Lapis.

“Truth or dare?”

“Dare.” Lapis sighed. “Truth is boring and not your business.”

“Well…” Rose grinned. “I dare you to kiss the person you like.”

Jasper, Peridot and Lapis all went tense at the same time. Everyone’s eyes were on the blue-haired girl, who was completely taken aback by that dare.

Lapis was confused… the person she liked… she wanted to kiss Peridot because she really did like the little girl… but Jasper… Jasper was magnificent… Jasper was… Jasper. As much as she adored Peridot, the big girl would always be there to clutch her heart tightly and squeeze it a bit too hard… she didn’t want Jasper to think that she had given up on her. Suddenly she felt as if she had no air left in her. Lapis stood up and walked away.

“I need to go.”

She left just as Garnet and Greg came in, carrying a couple of bags. Garnet raised an eyebrow and looked at the others.

“What did we miss?”

 

                                                    *                  *                   *

It was six am when Peridot arrived home and opened the apartment door. She crept in silently and sighed, hanging her coat up and leaving her bag on the mantle piece. She peeked at Lapis’ room, but the door was closed.

Stupid Lapis, why did she have to run off like that? So she couldn’t choose who to kiss, was that such a drama? Peridot sighed, wondering what she would have felt if Lapis had actually kissed Jasper… Somehow the mere thought made her stomach hurt and a lump formed in her throat.

She was in far too deep.

Peridot clutched the handle of her own bedroom door, trembling. What had she done? How could she have been so stupid as to fall for Lapis’ advances? Where had it led her? The pain she was feeling now was beyond anything she had ever suffered before…

She entered her room, sighing deeply and then stopped in her tracks, as Lapis was laying in her bed, her back towards the door. Peridot walked over and got in next to her, wondering what that was all about. But Lapis seemed to have woken up when she came in, and she turned around facing her.

“I’m sorry, Peridot.” She whispered.

“For what?”  
“For leaving… I guess…” She hugged her. “And I know you must have felt bad that I didn’t just kiss you.”

“It’s fine.” Peridot broke lose. “I totally understand.” She paused a little and then bent over Lapis, kissing her quite intensely. Lapis was slightly taken aback, but let Peridot go ahead and threw her arms around her again. But Peridot took her by the wrists just as Amethyst had done with Pearl before and pinned her against the bed, kissing her neck.

It was short.

It was intense.

As Peridot fell down next to her, exhausted, and curled up in a ball in order to get some sleep, Lapis felt a knot tied in her own throat. She could recognize the pain in the small girl’s eyes… Peridot had just done the exact same thing as her: she had had sex with her in order to feel better, but now she just fell worse. And so did Lapis.

She stroked the small girl’s hair, pondering about the situation and came to the conclusion that their arrangement was purely wrong. Jasper had been right: there weren’t any positive sides to that kind of situation. It could only end wrong.

So what could she do? Break up something that never existed? End something that wasn’t even real?

Or was it?

Lapis didn’t know. She couldn’t understand her own feelings about Peridot and she had no idea what was going on in her heart. But she did know that she wanted the little girl to stop suffering and therefore, she had to make a sudden decision. And it would have to be a harsh one.

She hugged Peridot tightly from behind, holding her close, a tear running down her cheek. She knew that everything might change after the following day, but she wanted to hold on to that moment, burry her face in the small girl’s hair, have her in her arms and spend one last night beside her. Because…

She loved her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Kamikaze Girls
> 
> Jasper goes on a running date with the girl she met at the club. Lapis tries to find the right words to say to Peridot. Pearl and Amethyst have a talk.


	8. Kamikaze Girls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot struggles trying to move away from Lapis. Jasper goes on her first "date". Pearl and Amethyst are acting awkward to each other. Lapis finds out something about herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for the wonderful comments you've been leaving! Some warm my heart, others make me crack up, but they all make me really really happy. I'm so glad you're enjoying this! (Although some of you are suffering as well :c )
> 
> Anyway, I'm home again so here's a chapter. I don't know if any of you have seen the movie "Kamikaze Girls"; it's really good. I wanted to recreate the feeling of emotionally unstable girls riding on motorbikes and eventually finding themselves (?)
> 
> I hope you enjoy this chapter! Still no ideas who Jasper's date is?

** Chapter Seven **

** Kamikaze Girls **

****

Jasper woke up with a start, wondering what was happening. Then she remembered that she had an appointment that morning and her sudden wake had just been because of the ringing alarm clock on her night table. She sighed and got out of bed, heading to the bathroom. As she stared into the mirror, she wondered if she looked nice that day.

It wasn’t easy – dating – for her. To be honest, it was something she hadn’t done in a really long time… Actually, after Lapis, she hadn’t dated at all. Somehow seeing her with Peridot comforted her a little and made her widen her options, although she still felt guilty every single time she saw the blue haired girl. Not the same guilt as before, but she still felt she owed her something… and that she should at least wait for her feelings to go away before seeing someone else.

But… this wasn’t really a date. The girl in the club had texted her in order to give Jasper her running shoes back and had also suggested to go jogging together that very morning. The big girl knew there was a big chance that she hadn’t been flirting at all and that she just wanted a girlfriend – as in girl and friend. Jasper sighed; that would actually be too bad. She had really crushed on her the other night…

She pulled on her usual leggings and her favorite sports bra, wondering if would have the same effect on the girl as it had on most of the female population that met her. She sighed… she didn’t even know her name… she had just saved the number as “girl in the club”, which wasn’t very classy.

The downstairs bell buzzed and Jasper ran to the door, almost tripping over the carpet in the entrance. Garnet had brought it there when she had first moved to town and needed a place to stay. When she finally found her own place, she had decided to leave her carpet behind, making Jasper curse her every time she walked through the hall. But still, it wasn’t entirely the carpet’s fault this time… Jasper was feeling pretty nervous.

She rushed downstairs and saw the blond girl standing in the hallway, a plastic bag in her hands. She smiled brightly when she saw Jasper and held it up, probably trying to express that her running shoes were in there. But Jasper had no attention for those.

The girl was wearing dark orange shorts and a white sports bra, showing off quite a toned stomach. Her legs were thin but firm and so was her chest. Her hair was hanging lose and it shone golden in the sunlight. Her eyes looked golden too, glistering beneath her dark eyelashes. Moreover, Jasper felt she knew her from somewhere, that she had seen her before. Maybe she was studying at the university as well.

“Hi.” She said, sweetly. “Your shoes.”

“Th… thanks.” Jasper took them out of the bag and pulled them on. She decided to ask how she was called. “What’s your name? I mean, we haven’t been introduced.”

She giggled.

“You can call me Di.” She smiled. “And what about you?”

“I’m Jasper.”

“I love your name.”

“Thanks, yours is nice too.”

The two of them walked outside and started stretching at a bench in front of Jasper’s flat. Di smiled at her.

“How much do you usually run?”

“Not much.” Jasper confessed. “I also go to the gym so I run about five kilometers every day…”  
“Not bad.” Di laughed. “And I can see you work out, I mean, look at the size of your triceps…” She squeezed Jasper’s arm beneath the shoulder. “Jealous.”

“Why?” Jasper asked. “You have such a nice body yourself.” She suddenly realized what she was doing. “Oh my God, I can’t believe I just said that out loud!”

Di laughed and patted Jasper on the arm.

“That’s cute.” She said. “I like compliments. Shall we warm up?”

“Warm up?”

“Yeah, as in… warm up in order to go running?”

Jasper went scarlet and nodded.

“Yeah… yeah of course.”

 

                                       *                *                   *

 

Peridot woke up with a start as her alarm-clock started ringing and she turned it off in disgust, feeling she hadn’t slept enough. She turned around to see Lapis curled up next to her and sighed, knowing she had been careless and stupid the night before. She had been so upset… why did she sleep with her if she was so angry on her? Peridot looked at Lapis’ sleeping face and her heart softened a little… but she still couldn’t get it out of her head that Lapis still loved Jasper. Even after everything they had been through.

Yet, _everything they had been through_? Peridot sighed, they actually hadn’t been through all that much together… not like with Jasper. Maybe Lapis knew that and therefore, would never be able to take Peridot seriously.

Lapis moved in her sleep and her hand enclosed around Peridot’s. The blue haired girl drew close to her and nuzzled in her neck, making the small girl feel a knot in her throat again. If Lapis didn’t love her, why did she want to be so close to her? Why did she want to treat her like her girlfriend?

The blue haired girl opened her eyes and Peridot startled, trying to move away, but Lapis hugged her tightly.

“Just a few more minutes.” She whispered.

Wondering what that was all about, Peridot stayed put and allowed Lapis to hold her. Her cheek was pressed against her chest and she could hear her heartbeat pounding pretty fast, almost too fast. Lapis trembled a little and then let her go. Peridot got up slowly and walked towards the bathroom, her clothes in her arms, a little perplexed. What was up with Lapis?

She turned the tap and let the shower run, undressing slowly in front of the mirror. The person staring back at her was different, older – but not wiser. Peridot scowled at her reflection.

“I hate you.” She told herself. “You’re childish and ignorant, you know nothing of life. You’re not like Lapis, you should not be suffering like her.”

She turned around and climbed into the tub, letting the water run over her face. Her eyes were closed and she stood still as a statue, as Lapis came in. The tall girl undressed as well and got into the shower with her. Peridot, sensing her presence, opened her eyes, seeing Lapis in front of her. The blue haired girl sighed; Peridot looked so desirable like that, with her wet hair and the water running over her body. She drew close to her, her heart elevating to a quick rhythm and the small girl felt her breath on her chest as she bent down to kiss her breasts. Peridot didn’t protest; she knew it had reached an unhealthy level where they were both only toxic for each other, but she still let Lapis continue, because she knew that it would have to end… and she knew it would be soon… She let out a small gasp as Lapis sunk her teeth into her neck and allowed the tall girl to pin her against the wall as the shower kept running. As Lapis moved up and down, kissing and caressing her body, Peridot closed her eyes and concentrated only on the pleasure – that ephemeral moment in which it looked like nothing could ever go wrong, yet brought a bitter after taste. The small girl gritted her teeth and then let out a little cry as her body shuddered in release. She opened her eyes and looked at Lapis, wo was staring at her with desire. Peridot went down on her knees and drew her arms around her calves, kissing her between her legs. It wasn’t long before Lapis also finished and they both sat down in the tub, the water still running over them.

“I…” Peridot muttered. “… Need to talk to you.”

“Me too.”

“Let’s get dressed and talk.”

A quarter of an hour later, Peridot and Lapis sat side by side on the sofa in the living room, ready to talk. Lapis cleared her throat first.

“Well… um…”

A shrill noise interrupted her; Peridot’s phone was ringing. The small girl sighed and picked up, not checking who it was.

“PERIDOT YOU HAVE TO HELP ME!!!”

“Amethyst?”

 

*                *              *

 

It had been a quiet and uneventful start of the morning for Pearl and Amethyst. The first had woken up early, as usual: a tradition she withheld even after partying. The second would have slept until midday if her alarm clock hadn’t gone of at seven am.

“Oh jeez, why is this thing on?” Amethyst swiped her phone so that it could snooze and was about to turn around and sleep again when she heard a noise in the living room. She groaned; it was probably Pearl, doing chores. Why did she have to do chores when others were trying to sleep?

Amethyst got up rather reluctantly and opened the room to the living room. Pearl was there, but she wasn’t busy with any chores – she was actually doing some yoga in front of the balcony door. Amethyst went red as she stared at the small yet firm butt in yoga pants in front of her.

“Oh jeez…” She hissed again, but this time more intensely. The way Pearl was bending was very hot indeed. “What is wrong with you? This is P.” Amethyst tried to get out quietly but Pearl looked up and saw her.

“Amethyst! You scared me.” She pulled her tank top straight and pushed her bangs out of her face with a sigh. Amethyst looked away, cheeks flushing. “You’re up early.”

“Yeah… you know… stuff…”

Pearl laughed softly and walked to the kitchen.

“I made a smoothie. Do you want some?”

“Sure.”

Pearl poured the fresh pink smoothie into a couple of tall glasses and handed one to Amethyst, who sipped at it slowly, all the while looking at her. She left it on the small bar they had and turned away again, still feeling weird. She had been very brave last night, with alcohol… but now it was just so embarrassing to remember her words. She had acknowledged that she found Pearl attractive… in front of her.

Did Pearl mind? She didn’t know.

She had to talk to someone. Amethyst ran out of the apartment into the fourth floor hallways and went down to the square in front of the student blocks. She took out her phone and tried to reach Garnet, but she was still asleep. In the end, she just called Peridot, hoping her small friend would be awake.

And she was.

“I THINK I LIKE P!” Amethyst exclaimed. “WHAT DO I DO NOW?”

“Wh… what?” Peridot seemed confused and a little tired.

“I… Think… I… Like… P… earl.” Amethyst hissed clearly through the phone. “So what do you suggest I do now?”

Somehow, her small friend didn’t seem to react with much energy. Had she woken her up? They had stayed up pretty late last night…

“I don’t know, talk to her?” Peridot asked. “Maybe she feels the same…”  
“NO SHE DOESN’T! SHE’S STILL SAD ABOUT ROSE! PERIDOT HELP!”

“Okay, calm down… why don’t you just wait it out?” Peridot suggested. “Think about it and give it a little time? Maybe keep some distance to see things with a cooler head?”

“That actually sounds like good advice.” Amethyst muttered. “Thanks, P-Dot.”

Peridot hung up, wondering if she should apply her own advice to herself.

 

                                           *               *                *

Jasper came to a halt, her running shoes gliding in the sand of the park and creating a small cloud of dust. She turned around to see Di stopping next to her and they both laughed, holding their sides.

“Timing us was a good idea.” Jasper grinned. “We pushed ourselves a lot today.”

“I knooow.” The blond girl smiled at her. “You’re awesome to run with… we should do this more often.” She wiped the sweat of her brow and looked at her brightly. “Do you want to go for a coffee now?”

“Sure…” Jasper beamed. “I went out last night, so I totally need some caffeine.”

“Wow and you still managed to beat me.” Di squeezed her arm. “You sure are impressive, Jasper.”

The two of them walked towards the park cafeteria, which had been built in an old greenhouse. It was really nice and sunny, and they had a breakfast buffet. Jasper picked out a few healthy snacks and they brought the tray to one of the marble tables, sitting down beside it.

Jasper wondered what it was that she was feeling at that point. How could anyone be such a bright flower? Where were the flaws? When would they come out? And moreover, when would Di see hers? But then the big girl shook those thoughts out of her head, realizing she had become more like Lapis than she had believed. Everyone had flaws, there was no true perfection, but it was quite possible to find someone who you could love over everyone else, flaws and all. That chance had not yet passed by, not for her, not for Lapis. Jasper looked back at Di and smiled, knowing it was too early to consider her a love interest, but she also felt there was no way she shouldn’t be and that made her hopeful. She sat back, sipped her coffee and enjoyed Di’s merry chatter with a heart that hadn’t felt that light in months.

 

*               *                *

Peridot left the phone down and looked at Lapis, wondering if she had the courage to express what she felt at that moment. She didn’t want to continue what they had started, not on that level, but Lapis seemed pretty reluctant to let her go. And she didn’t want to stay away either. Why was the decision so difficult? It was so painful, yet the idea of not being with her anymore felt even worse.

“So… Amethyst and Pearl huh?” Lapis twirled a lock of her blue hair around her finger, playing with it. “Who would have thought…”

“Oh it wouldn’t surprise me from Pearl’s part…” Peridot mumbled. “It’s Amethyst who…” She paused. “Well, actually Amethyst liking Pearl doesn’t surprise me either. She’s been teasing her like a schoolboy for ages.”

“Wow…” Lapis sighed. “I thought Pearl was pining over Rose…”

“She was… but I think she stopped doing that for a while now… she just didn’t know she was over her because she was so used to loving her.” Peridot sat down at the breakfast table. “It was like a routine for her, you know? We all saw it…”

Lapis stood by the balcony door, very quietly, pondering over Peridot’s words. She suddenly looked up and walked towards the hall.

“I have to go somewhere. We’ll talk later!” She took her bag and coat and left in a hurry, making Peridot wonder what was going on again.

The small girl walked to the counter and made herself something to eat, although she wasn’t feeling very hungry. She sighed and munched on some corn-flakes, wondering if she should just let it go and not speak to Lapis at all. That sounded like the best thing to do, for she really didn’t want to stop what they had – if you could even call it something. Lapis had changed so much; she could still remember the first time she had officially met her, at the cafeteria. Her don’t-carish manner had won her heart over on a way she couldn’t explain, even if she tried to understand. She gripped the kitchen counter tightly with her hands, her whole body shaking… why was it so hard?

Where was Lapis going when she wanted to talk to her? Peridot didn’t want to utter the words that had been there since the very beginning, but she knew she had to… she had to explain to Lapis why she couldn’t go on with this.

Suddenly the small girl curled up on the floor in a ball, her back against the kitchen cupboards beneath the sink. She started sobbing uncontrollably, her head resting on her knees, wishing Lapis were there with her, holding her. Wishing she’d understand and tell her what to do.

Had Lapis become that person in her life? The one she told all of her troubles to? The one she could count on? Was Lapis that person for Peridot, just like Peridot was for her? The small girl shook her head… Lapis was the cause of all her troubles, not the right safe haven to run to at all… The tall blue haired girl was all she could think about and she was bringing her walls down all around her. She had to stop this.

Slowly yet steadily she picked up her phone and dialed Jasper’s number. After ringing for a while, the big girl answered.

“Peridot?”

Jasper was not surprised when all she got for an answer was a cluster of uncontrolled sobbing. She looked at Di, who was staring at her, curious, on the other side of the marble table, and sighed.

“Meet me in the park near your apartment.” She told Peridot. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes; I’ll take my bike.”

The big girl hung up and shot an apologetic look at Di, who was still staring at her, wondering what was going on.

“I’m sorry… A friend needs me.” Jasper muttered, taking out her wallet and leaving some money on the tray. “I really have to go.”

“It does sound serious.” Di said, concerned.

Jasper turned to look at her and smiled.

“I’m afraid you’ve met me in a complicated time… two of the people I care most about in the world are in trouble and I have to… do something.”

Di stood up, with a smile.

“Go ahead.” She said. “We’ll meet again soon.”

Jasper ran across the park to her apartment and went down to the garage, where she walked towards a big bulky thing covered with an old tarp. She pulled it off, revealing her motorbike and took her jacket and helmet out of the small storage unit next to her parking spot. She pulled everything on and started the bike, riding slowly out of the garage. She sped up once she reached the end of the street and smiled a little, feeling the wind in her face. Jasper knew that riding her bike produced quite a healthy amount of happiness and she truly enjoyed it immensely. She took the ringway outside the city in order to get to her friends’ neighborhood faster and arrived in no time, admits the distance of the outskirts. She quickly parked next to the brick apartments and hurried towards the park, where she found Peridot sitting on a bench, looking at the small lake. The rim was brown at this time of year and it didn’t carry that magic it had in summer when the sun shone brightly on it, or in mid winter, when it was practically frozen. Jasper sighed and walked towards her small friend, sitting down beside her. Peridot looked up and then, without a word, hugged the big girl, who held her in her arms for a long time. After a while, Peridot drew apart a little.

“I really messed up.” She confessed, in a shaky voice.

“No…” Jasper sighed. “I did…”

“What do you mean?”

Jasper stroked Peridot’s hair and then pulled her close again, holding her against her chest.

“I was so in love with Lapis…” She said, quietly. “But I was never able to transmit that, somehow… I wasn’t enough for her.” Peridot looked at her, perplexed. “She thought I was her everything but I was just a stupid girl who had jumped into a new relationship too quickly. I had no idea how to treat her how she deserved. All I did was wreck her.”

“But… you’re so strong and… rational.” Peridot muttered.

“I was broken after we ended.” Jasper looked away. “I spent many weeks regretting it but I knew I couldn’t go back, because I’d only end up hurting her more. All I wanted was to get back with her, I needed her in my life. But I took a decision thinking of her.”

“Does she know that?” Peridot asked.

“I don’t think she does.” Jasper sighed. “She just thinks I broke up with her because her nature was too jealous and she was driving me crazy or something…”

“Everyone thought that.” Peridot looked away. “Lapis wasn’t wrong to be devastated. Isn’t that the reason you gave her?”

“I’m really not the best person to handle these situations.” Jasper muttered. “Lapis thinks she doesn’t deserve me, but the truth is, I don’t deserve her.”

“That’s not entirely true… Lapis has issues.” Peridot confessed. “And I think anyone would be honored to date you.”  
“Thanks, Peri, that means a lot.” Jasper smiled a little. “But you know, what I really meant to say is that a relationship shouldn’t be sad and angsty… Lapis got so much better, she’s actually interacting with people now and she seems happy… but you…” She sighed again. “Oh Peridot, you made her happy, but at what cost?”

“I don’t know…” Peridot sighed. “I feel happy when she does, but it also hurts a lot when she subtly tells me that we aren’t anything.”

“This is taking a too big a toll on you.” Jasper held Peridot’s face in her hands. “You don’t deserve to be sad, you know… You would do anything for her, for your friends… you are a good person, Peridot… you don’t have to keep suffering.”

Peridot looked at Jasper.

“This morning I wanted to tell her it was over, that I couldn’t go on with it… but I couldn’t bring myself to do that.” She bit her lip. “How should I do it?”

“You should tell her when you’re ready, because only you will know when you are. You can only take these kind of actions when you realize yourself that the moment has come…” Jasper leaned back against the park bench. “Don’t stress and don’t make hasty decisions, just think about it and take your time.”

Peridot nodded slightly, feeling a little better. Jasper was right: she didn’t have to break up with Lapis right now! She could still think about it, she was free to do so. Somehow, the thought of having her near somewhat longer, really comforted her.

“There you are!” Both Jasper and Peridot spun around in shock as they saw Lapis standing behind them, her coat slightly ruffled and her hair wild in the wind, as if she had been running.

“I’ve been looking for you all over town.” Lapis frowned at Jasper. “I thought you were home and you didn’t answer your phone… And then, when I came back, I saw your bike outside my door. What the fuck.”

“I was… here.” Jasper stood up and walked towards the girl, her ashen hair blowing behind her in the wind. “What’s up.”

“I…” She caught sight of Peridot standing behind her. “I need to talk to you…”

“I’ll go.” Peridot muttered darkly, and walked away, treading heavily on the grass. She disappeared into the apartments leaving Lapis staring after her.

“Does it remind you of something?” Jasper asked her and the blue haired girl turned to face her, with a frown.

“What do you mean?”

“You used to be like that… Walking away as if you had a little raincloud above your head…” Jasper moved closer. “And look at you now, the skies have cleared.”

“Whatever.”

“No, Lapis, you do care.” Jasper insisted.

“I’m not here to talk about Peridot!” Lapis exclaimed. “I’m here to talk about you and me… Because I think I understand now. I’ve been convincing myself that I was over you when that wasn’t even the important thing.”

“What?” Jasper felt a little confused. That was an unexpected turn of events… Lapis sighed and placed her hands on her hips.

“You said it yourself… I was so convinced I loved you that I couldn’t let you go, but it grew into a habit… Jasper, I’m over you! Not as easily as you were over me, but I did it! I understand now!” Lapis exclaimed. “I was just holding on to what I thought was familiar… which doesn’t mean I actually love you like that anymore!” She grinned.

Jasper stood there, motionless, but slowly her body started to react again and she pulled Lapis into a hug, smiling.

“Wow.” She whispered.

“Wow.” Lapis muttered as well. They laughed.

“For your info, it wasn’t that easy for me…”

“I know…” Lapis kept hugging Jasper tightly. “I was irrational and stupid and just wanted to feel bad. But it’s okay now. I feel… happy…”

Jasper looked at her.

“So… was it Peridot?”  
Lapis laughed.

“I don’t deny that Peridot was a very positive influence in my life. But I do believe one thing doesn’t have to do with the other, I mean… It’s healthier this way, right?”

“True… But what about her?”

Lapis smiled a little.

“We’ll see where it goes… I don’t want to rush…”

Jasper beamed.

“Lapis, you’ve become so… rational.”

The blue haired girl nudged her in the shoulders.

“I learned from the best.”

The two of them walked towards the apartment, merrily, as their hearts felt much lighter… something had really changed in the atmosphere and it was noticeable. But when they reached the door, Peridot was waiting there with a small bag.

“I… uh… My grandmother’s sick so I’m going back home for a few days.” She mumbled, not daring to meet their eyes. “Jasper… could you give me a ride to the center so that I can get on the bus to the train station?”

“Sure…” Jasper said, concerned. Lapis too, seemed worried.

“Is she ok?”

“Yeah yeah…” Peridot still looked away and accepted a helmet from Jasper.

“I’ll see you soon then?” Lapis grabbed Peridot’s hand. The small girl drew it away.

“Yeah… I’ll be back in a few days… I’ll keep you informed.”

Jasper started the bike and they drove slowly away, leaving Lapis standing there, worried.

“Take care!” She called after them as the motorbike sped off, leaving a trail of smoke behind. Lapis sighed. Something seemed a little off.

Jasper made for the ringway as Peridot gripped her tightly and sighed.

“When did you know?” She shouted.

“My gran isn’t really sick!” Peridot called back. “I just need to be away from Lapis for a few days! Can I crash at your place?”

Jasper let out an indignant spluttering noise.

“Damn it, Peri!”

“I’m sorry! I’m a coward! But I can’t face her right now!”

“Fine! I’ll take you to Garnet’s! There’s no chance in hell she’ll find you there…”

Jasper took the exit that led to the university and made for the student residences, parking in front of the square. She left the bike there and took Peridot upstairs, to Garnet’s apartment.

 

                                  *                     *                       *

Amethyst was staring at the ceiling in her room, wondering what she should do. After phoning Peridot, she had gone back in and she had thrown herself on her bed, pondering about her awkward feelings for Pearl and she wondered if her roommate felt something even remotely close… it was just too embarrassing to think about.

She got up and went into the living room, where Pearl sat quietly behind her computer. She was smiling and Amethyst sat down beside her.

“Look…” Pearl laughed. “Rose uploaded pictures from last night… They’re hilarious.”

“Hm.” Amethyst stared at the pictures on Pearl’s Facebook and then looked back at her, with a sigh. “How do you always manage to look dignified on them?”

“It’s a talent.” Pearl winked at her.

Amethyst smiled and for a moment they were just staring at each other, not daring to blink. Pearl went a little red and looked away.

“I… eh… I’m going to go get some groceries…” She stood up and stretched herself, still pink. “The supermarket on campus should be open by now.”

“I’ll come help carry.” Amethyst got up as well and they headed towards the door. They opened it and Pearl took a step back in order to get a coat, for she found it to be a little chilly. Amethyst walked outside in her tank-top, as she was used to roughing it out. They were about to go downstairs when they bumped right into Jasper and Peridot.

“Uhm… did you even leave last night?” Amethyst asked.

“Yeah, we came back. We’re going to Garnet’s.” Jasper explained. “Peridot needs a place to crash.”

Pearl raised an eyebrow.

“So that Lapis can’t find her?”

“How did you know?”

“Well… she would be crashing at your place if not.” Pearl smiled. “Don’t worry, Jasper, we’ll take good care of Peri here. And Garnet lives alone so she has an extra bed.”

Peridot shuffled her feet, nervously.

“So… is it okay for me to stay?”

“Yeah it is!” Amethyst thumped her on the back. “We gonna par-teyyyy!!!”

“Amethyst!” Pearl frowned at her. “Let’s go to Garnet first.”

After half an hour, Garnet was informed and Peridot was happily settled in. After groceries and lunch, the five of them went down to the square and took turns playing table tennis with some bats that Garnet owned. At the moment, a heated match between Garnet and Pearl was going on and Amethyst, Jasper and Peridot sat in the shadow of a tall tree, observing.

“I wish I could just get out of the city for a moment.” Peridot sighed. “The university is a great place and it’s in the countryside… but I wish I could just get out of this environment.”

“You and me both.” Amethyst groaned. Then, she stared at Peridot. “Hey, let’s go to the beach for the day! I need to clear my mind… you need to clear your mind… the water’s freezing at this time of year… LET’S DO THIS!”

“Woa, hang on!” Peridot held her hands up. “How would we even get there?”

Jasper laughed.

“You take my bike.” She said. “Amethyst can handle it… And I think it’s a good idea… get out of here for a day, come back in the evening… clear your heads. I know you have a lot to think about, Peridot… and I’m guessing you’re not the only one.”

The two girls stared at Jasper, motionless.

“Really?” Amethyst asked at last.

“Yeah.” Jasper gave her the keys. “Go have fun, kids.”

Just a little later, Pearl, Garnet and Jasper stood by the square staring at Amethyst and Peridot, who were riding away on the handsome bike. Pearl frowned.

“So… what is all this about?”

Jasper winked at her.

“You know… _stuff_.”

“Ughhhh whatever.” Pearl walked away, annoyed and Garnet followed her, grinning at Jasper, who kept standing there with her arms crossed.

This was the moment, she thought, this was the moment when Peridot would make her decision about staying with Lapis or not. She and Amethyst would help each other out: even if they were very different, they were both not very good in handling emotional pressure, so they could actually lean on each other. Amethyst would help Peridot with her feelings for Lapis and Peridot would help Amethyst realize that liking Pearl was actually okay. Jasper felt happy; she knew she was finally doing the right thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: The Two Facets of The Diamond.
> 
> (No but seriously, I'm dying here. Spoiler alert: a nervous Jasper :__D I can't even deal with it myself now)


	9. The Two Facets Of The Diamond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peridot and Amethyst take some time away from Lapis and Pearl. Jasper goes on a few dates with Di and discovers something shocking. Lapis binge watches Camp Pining Hearts because she misses Peridot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my Gosh, this took so long! I'm sorry, I've just been really stressed these days with full-time working schedules and a lot to organize... Anyways, it's done.
> 
> This fanfic is nearing its end, guys! I'd say there are three or four chapters left! But look forward to the next two chapters, or as I call them, The Spring Break Special. 
> 
> I'm really happy that you've liked what you read until now!! It's almost sad to know it's almost done :c But anyways, I hope you enjoy this chapter!!! Thank you!!!
> 
> *Chaebol: a South Korean form of business conglomerate. (thanks Google, I was too lazy to explain)

 

** Chapter Eight **

** The Two Facets of The Diamond **

****

There was a soft breeze in the air as Peridot and Amethyst sat upon the rocks near the sea. The waves came clashing down upon them with their usual force, sending droplets of foam into the air, but even so, it was a calm day. The small girl sighed as the Sun shone bright in her face. It felt nice.

“Man, we should all come here for Spring Break.” Amethyst muttered, throwing herself backwards against the rocky wall. “It’s so nice here and it would be so much fun.”

“Yeah.” Peridot snorted. “Truth or dare on the beach… Real fun.”

“Can’t tell if you’re being ironic or not.” Amethyst mumbled. “Don’t care.”

They both grinned and stared at the purplish horizon as the afternoon Sun started descending towards the mountains. They had arrived shortly after midday and they had just been chilling at that spot.

“Yeah, but you’re right. It would be nice to go on holiday, all of us.” Peridot smiled softly, squinting a little in the light. “I don’t like staying alone while everyone leaves.”

“Well that’s new.” Amethyst said, surprised. “You used to like being left alone… you hardly ever came to parties and most of us only knew you because you were our Mystic Healer…” She smiled. “You changed, Peri.”

Peridot closed her eyes for a while, feeling the sunbeams lick her face and the soft breeze running through her hair. She missed Lapis.

“I think I need people now.” She mumbled. “At least… I need my friends close.”

“Awwww Peri.” Amethyst hugged her tightly and Peridot tried to fight her way out of it, muttering slightly and making angry choking noises. Amethyst let her go, with a laugh.

“No but seriously.” She said, brightly. “You’ve come so far…”

“I haven’t come far at all!” Peridot raised her arms in the air, exasperated. “I fell for Lapis Lazuli! That’s like the worst mistake ever!”

“Well, Jasper survived…”  
“I’M NOT JASPER!”

“… and you don’t need to end…”

“WE WERE NEVER ANYTHING!”

“Alright, okay, calm down.” Amethyst clapped her on the shoulder. “You don’t have to panic like that, dude… if it’s meant to be, it’ll happen… I mean, Lazuli hasn’t dumped you or anything, right?”

Peridot made another choking noise and looked away.

“No.”

“Well then…” Amethyst shifted into a more comfortable position. “Don’t worry so much, you don’t have to label everything for it to be real…”

Peridot looked at her.

“What do you mean?”

“Well Lapis doesn’t have to be your girlfriend but you can still love each other…” Amethyst stretched her arms. “I mean, you don’t have to call it anything.”

“But she doesn’t even love me…” Peridot mumbled and frowned. “I think.”

“So why don’t you just ask her? It’s so simple.” Amethyst laughed.

“Oh yeeeeeaaah… And why don’t you just ask Pearl, huh?” Peridot answered, irritated.

“Because… because…” Amethyst spluttered, turning scarlet. “That’s none of your… that’s completely different!”

“Oh suuuuuure.” Peridot exclaimed. “That’s so different!”

“Hey, at least Lapis is attracted to you! Because you guys do stuff… right?” Amethyst giggled. “Do stuff.”

Peridot went bright red and tried to slap her friend, who protected herself just in time.

“We…” She looked away. “Yeah…”

“Well, I don’t even know if Pearl likes me… let alone love.” Amethyst sighed. “So it’s different, I mean… she might even hate me.”

The two of them sat still for a while, just staring at the waves splashing too and fro across the rocks. The afternoon Sun cast flickering shadows over the sand.

“Amethyst…” Peridot said then. “I don’t think she hates you.”

“What would you know…”

“Because she’s always at your neck, telling you what to do or what not to do… she’s constantly fussing over you…”

“Yeah… isn’t that bad?”

“I don’t think so.” Peridot smiled. “She probably doesn’t realize it yet, but she can’t live without you…”

Amethyst grinned.

“I really like her.” She confessed. “She’s so neat and uptight… but at the same time she can come crashing down on you like a typhoon… I love it when she shouts at me… you can call me a weirdo, but it’s almost hot the way she says _oh Amethyst_ …” She laughed softly. “I like teasing her because I know she’ll reproach me and I just love it when she gets like that.”

“Wow, I thought you hated that.” Peridot said, amazed.

“Well of course… I pretend to hate it…” Amethyst retorted. “I don’t want to be too obvious.”

“Of course.”

The two of them laughed and sat a while longer on the rocks, watching the Sun move away. It felt nice to disconnect from their usual environment for a while…

“Let’s make a promise.” Amethyst muttered. “I’ll tell Pearl I like her. You confront Lapis about your true feelings.”

“Okay.” Peridot sighed. “Let’s do this.”

 

                                         *               *                *

 

Jasper rolled over on the couch as she heard her phone bleep, wondering who it could be. She had been really lazy that afternoon, after dropping Peridot off at Garnet’s and then having to return with the subway because she had ended up lending out her bike. It really wasn’t like her to lay on the couch for two hours straight, though.

Jasper looked at the screen of her phone and her heart skipped a beat when she saw that she had received a text from Di. She was asking how everything was. Jasper smiled and texted today’s adventures back, and to her delight, Di was online and replied immediately. After twenty minutes of feverent texting, she called her and Jasper picked up with a shaky voice.

“Hey J.” Di sounded so sweet… Jasper felt her heart melt. “I’m glad to hear your friends are doing ok.”

“Hey…” Jasper blurted out. “Yeah, good.”

“So… It was really nice running with you today.” Di seemed almost shy now.

“It really was.” Jasper felt like a stupid repeating robot.

“So… um… do you want to do it again?”

“Do it again?”

“Yeah… go jogging with me… again.” She let out a little laugh. “Or… you know… we could also find other activities… to do… like, I don’t know… going to the cinema or… You know…”

“I know.” Jasper thought she would explode from happiness. “I know so well cinemas and going.”

“What?”

Jasper cleared her throat, wondering what her brain had done.

“I mean sure! Let’s go on a da… I mean… stuff!!! Yeah! Let’s go on stuff!” She had never wanted to punch herself so much.

Di, at the other side of the line, went into fits of laughter.

“Yeah, Jasper, let’s do stuff.” She smiled. “Wanna hang out tomorrow? There’s a special discount on family-sized pizzas at the mall…”

Jasper laughed.

“Wow yeah okay…” She said, enthusiastically. “Let’s have some malls at the pizza tomorrow!” She face-palmed herself. “I mean, some palls at the mizza… I MEAN…”

“I know what you mean. Don’t be nervous.” Di laughed. “We can meet around noon at the subway stop… it’s a… stuff.”

“Yeah. Stuff.” Jasper grinned stupidly as they hung up. On one hand, she hated herself for getting a brain freeze… on the other, she really wanted to do a war-dance around the house… She was going on a date with Di!

Yeah, ok, it wasn’t really a date… Di probably just liked her as a friend. But Jasper felt happy all the same; she hadn’t been in such a rush for months…

 

                                         *               *                *

Lapis Lazuli had also been laying on the couch, but that wasn’t really surprising. She had spent the morning listening to one of her Spotify playlists on her laptop, which hadn’t really brightened her mood, for most of the songs she had were about loss on some sort of way. She wondered what was wrong with her, but the answer came way too soon: she missed Peridot.

Lapis was able to acknowledge it, of course, but still felt a little weirded out by the whole situation: she was definitely over Jasper, she was steadily crushing on her small roommate and now she felt more alone than she had ever done before.

Peridot hadn’t answered any of her texts; what’s more, her phone didn’t even seem to be switched on, so Lapis assumed she was too busy being with her grandma. She felt sorry for the girl, having had to rush off like that…It had all been really sudden.

Lapis swiped through the pictures in her phone; she hardly ever took any, but Peridot and Jasper often spammed her through texts, so she had a lot of pictures from other people that somehow stayed in her phone. She sighed as she passed through the photos from the other night’s dinner… Truth or Dare was truly a risky game.

Peridot looked so pure, though, smiling next to Jasper… she seemed calmed and happy, although she had to admit, it was but a shadow of that bright smile she had worn at the beginning… Lapis looked at her, sadly. Why had Peridot stopped smiling like that? Had she been that horrible to her? Was she such a bad influence?

Slowly, she ran through her contact list and called Jasper, who answered shortly after.

“Hey Lap, what’s up.”

Lapis tried to control her breathing, for somehow she felt an awkward lump in her throat. She hadn’t felt like that in ages.

“Jasper…” She managed to say with a certain amount of control. “Do you think I’ve been a bitch to Peri?”

She felt the big girl gasp softly at the other side of the line and then stay quiet for a while. But in the end, she spoke.

“I won’t deny that your _relationship_ has taken a toll on her…” Jasper said, gravely and Lapis cringed again. “And I do believe I warned you, but Lapis… you do care and I know it.”

“I am so sick of caring! All I wanted was to feel better! And I didn’t, I just felt worse every single time because some part of me knew that Peri wasn’t okay with it! But I did it anyway! Jasper, what do I do?” Lapis cried, in panic.

Jasper, on the other side of the line, scratched her head.

“Um… Lapis? You need to calm down…” She muttered. “You’ve made a couple mistakes these past few months but they all come down to the same thing: you don’t even understand yourself, so how do you expect to understand others, let alone care about them? Why don’t you take some time to think, now that Peridot will be gone for a few days? You really need to clear your mind and think about what’s best for you both…”

Lapis sighed, hanging her head.

“You’re right.” She said, softly. “You’re always right. I will do as you say and just think for a few days…” She paused. “Thanks, Jasper.”

As she hung up, Lapis slid a hand under the couch and pulled out a DVD box set that had been hiding there for ages. She smirked a little, knowing that Peridot had always tried to conceal the fact that she simply adored Camp Pining Hearts, at least in front of her. As the blue haired girl turned on the TV and slid the DVD in its place, she felt gleeful as she would finally be able to watch it. Lapis lay back down on the couch and made herself comfortable: this was going to be one hell of a marathon.

 

                                                       *             *            *

Jasper slid her fingers nervously through her hair as she waited next to the subway station, in front of the mall. It had been an agonizing twenty-four hours, waiting to go out on that so called date and she wondered if she looked good. She had no Lapis straightening her clothes, and no Peridot muttering that she shouldn’t wear a sports bra in public… yet somehow, she had managed to pull on slightly neat clothes for the day: some jeans and a white shirt over one of her favorite dark tank tops. She had also attempted to comb her hair, but it always seemed to jump into a million directions after a bit of wind.

“Hey Jasper!” Came Di’s voice suddenly and the big girl startled, knocking her elbow against the wall of the building she was leaning against to. She tried to smile at Di while massaging her sore limb, but failed miserably when she took a good look at the girl.

She wasn’t dressed out of the ordinary; not at all… But Jasper’s jaw dropped all the same when she saw her neatly fit into a white dress, showing off her long legs. She was wearing high heels as well, and looked quite different from the other day.

“H… hey…” Jasper spluttered, wondering why she had lost her cool. “You look… real nice.”

“Thanks, so do you.” Di her own arm around Jasper’s and looked at her with a bright smile. “Shall we?”

Jasper nodded and walked up the steps of the mall, wondering if she would be able to act normal that day. She sure hoped so. But it was so hard pretending to be cool when the prettiest girl around was clinging at her arm, acting as her date. She sighed, feeling her skin burn where Di was touching her, but decided to just take a deep breath and walk inside the mall with her.

The place was bristling with pre-summer atmosphere and Jasper felt slightly overwhelmed by all the captivating surfing ads flickering across the variety of screens. Di seemed not to mind and smiled at everything with apparent glee.

“I’m so excited for Spring Break… and later, summer.” She said, brightly. “I can’t wait to have some time to go swimming and surfing.”

“You… like to surf?” Jasper asked, astonished. She had brought Lapis with her last summer but the girl hadn’t shown much interest. She could swim like a dolphin, though.

“I love surfing…” Di smiled. “I guess that’s something we can do together as well.”

“Yeah, we can.” Jasper felt glad that she had guessed that surfing was also one of her hobbies. “I’d love to.”

After walking around for a while, they found the pizza place and Jasper felt relieved because they had received a lot of stares on their way. People seemed to show a great interest in her companion, which she didn’t find surprising, but it just made her wonder about the effect she had on others. As they entered the pizza place, they headed towards a discrete booth and she sighed happily.

“This is nice.” Di looked at the menu and started reading. “I don’t get out much…”

“You don’t?” Jasper asked, genuinely surprised. She seemed lively enough to have an active social life.

“No, I don’t.” Di answered. “When you saw me the other night at the club… that was an exception. I don’t usually go out around town.”

“Wow.” Jasper took a quick glance at the menu as well. “What made you come out today?”

Di laughed.

“It’s not like I’m a hermit or something!” She exclaimed. “I just have a lot of things to do… You know…”

“I know…” Jasper smiled at her. “You’re a student too, aren’t you? I feel like I know your face, so I assumed you go to my Uni.”

“Er…” Di went a little red. “Yeah.”

But the big girl was distracted by a waiter arriving and the girls placed their order. After a while they both were eating huge slices of pizza with cold glasses of lemonade to wash it all down. Jasper smiled, feeling like a schoolgirl again… she couldn’t even remember the last time she hadn’t ordered a beer.

 

*             *            *

Peridot was laying on the floor next to the kitchen table, sighing deeply. Garnet, who was sitting at the table, looked at her, impassive. Peridot sighed again.

“So yesterday I went to the beach with Amethyst.” She said. “And I felt better, but now I’m back and the only thing I want to do is run to the apartment and see Lapis.”

Garnet nodded.

“Uhuh.”

“And oh my Gosh, is Amethyst still sleeping? She didn’t even go to her own apartment last night!” Peridot sat up straight. “I’m going to talk to her.” And she entered Garnet’s bedroom, which had two beds in it. She lived alone, though. Peridot had reluctantly shared a bed with Amethyst the night before, but had later moved to the couch in the living room because the girl was a very nervous sleeper. She knew form previous sleepovers that Amethyst talked and kicked around in her sleep but that night had really been the jewel in the crown, so the couch had seemed like the best option.

Peridot walked over to Amethyst and shook her awake, which led to a shower of grunts and insults. The girl looked up at her and sighed.

“Peri, it’s the middle of the night…”

“It’s literally two o’clock in the afternoon. Get up.” Peridot pulled her hair. “Why are you even here? You’re supposed to be with Pearl.”

“I couldn’t deal with seeing her last night.” Amethyst sat up and scratched her head. “She’d have been all over me asking me where I had been.”

“That’s not a bad thing.” Peridot pulled her out of bed. “Go home, go say hi.”

Amethyst obeyed reluctantly and after grabbing her things, she headed out to the corridors and went into her own apartment, where she found Pearl sitting at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine. A hot mug of tea stood next to her, emitting quite a big deal of steam.

“Morning.” Pearl said, never taking her eyes from what she was reading. “Did you enjoy your sleepover at Garnet’s?”

Amethyst gulped.

“How did you know?”

“Not a difficult conclusion.” Pearl looked up. “I wasn’t going to ask about your day at the beach though… Jasper said you really needed to disconnect, so that’s all there is to that… right?”

“Yeah… thanks.” Amethyst sat down beside her and looked at the magazine. “What are your reading?”

“Trash.” Pearl answered. “There’s this article about Yellow Diamond… her father owns the Diamond Mart, and the Diamond Restaurant line… and the Diamond sports centers… and the Diamond nightclubs… she’s like the daughter of a _Chaebol_ family.”

“Oh yeah, I know her.” Amethyst stared at the girl in the picture. “She’s like really famous or something… she’s often in magazines like this.”

“They say her dad runs some kind of mafia.” Pearl turned the page. “Nothing in here about that, though… The media’s always really careful about her… if the paparazzi writes something bad, they’ll immediately clear her image next day… Her family must have a great influence on everything.” She looked at Amethyst. “Must be nice.”

“Yeah.” Amethyst smiled at Pearl. The only thing nicer than being filthy rich was probably Pearl loving her back. She felt surprised at her thoughts; she wasn’t usually that corny…

*             *            *

Lapis’ eyes were watering as she put on the Fourth Season of Camp Pining Hearts. She had stayed up all night watching the series and it hadn’t been until now that she had felt a little hungry. She got up to get some snacks while she sang loudly with the theme song, wondering if they’d change the opening sequence images soon. They had to, now that some actors had left the series.

“Why does Peridot like this?” She asked herself as she sat down with a bag of chips. The episode had started and there was a fiery discussion going on between Percy and Pierre by the lake. She frowned and hunted for any signs of attraction either of them could be showing, as she knew that Peridot – as she called it – _shipped_ them.

“I don’t see it.” She sighed. “They fucking hate each other and they always will…”

At that moment Percy grabbed Pierre’s arm.

“Listen to me!” He exclaimed. “Don’t do this! Remember all those years ago? We used to be friends! We used to play together in grandpa’s backyard!”

“Okay, I can understand Peridot a bit.” Lapis munched on her chips. “Percy and Pierre do look good together… I wonder if Paulette ships them too…” She frowned. “Why do all their names start with a P? Did Peridot write these series or something?”

The lock of the door turned just as Lapis was watching the end credits of Season Four. The blue haired girl looked up and her heart leaped. Peridot! She jumped off the couch and ran to the front door, hugging the little girl before she even had time to come in. Peridot almost lost her balance and made an impertinent noise, holding herself against the doorpost.  
“Oh hi, Lapis…”

“You’re back.” Lapis squeezed her even tighter, eyes shining – although that could have been because of the many hours of Camp Pining Hearts – and the small girl felt surprised and a little happy.

“Yes, I’m back.” She said. “Did you miss me?”

“You have no idea, I didn’t even leave the house… I think… What day is it? How’s your grandma?” Lapis rubbed her eyes, letting Peridot go. The small girl laughed softly.

“She’s fine… Oh Lapis…”

She had no idea why the blue haired girl seemed so happy to see her, as if she actually needed her close on an emotional level, but it was nice and comforting. Peridot left her bag in her room with a smile and then walked towards the living room. But as she started doing so, Lapis jumped in front of her and ran towards the TV, trying to turn it off. Peridot frowned and looked around the corner, wondering if Lapis had been watching something weird. But then she caught sight of all the Camp Pining Hearts DVDs laying on the floor alongside a big variety of snack-wrappers and her heart skipped a beat.

“LAPIS!” She exclaimed. “REALLY?”

Lapis stopped her attempts of hiding everything and hung her head.

“Yeah…” She admitted.

“Where are you???”  
“Just finished Season Four…”

“OOOOH.”

They laughed a little and Peridot drew closer.

“You wanna… you know… watch the rest with me?”

Lapis placed her arms around Peridot’s small body, hugging her and kissing the top of her head.

“Let’s do this.”

A little later the two of them sat next to each other on the couch, wrapped in a warm blanket – as it still got a little chilly at night –  and a cup of tea on the table in front of them. They were able to watch most of Season Five without blinking but towards the end – and trashy part, as Peridot called it – Lapis started yawning, as she had pulled an all nighter already. The small girl turned the TV off and stroked her hair gently, almost cradling her.

“Come on, Lapis, you have to go to bed.” Peridot tried to pull her up but Lapis hugged her under the blanket and wouldn’t let her go. “Lapis, I’m serious.”

“I wanna stay with you.” She mumbled, sounding like a spoiled child. Peridot couldn’t help but laugh.

“Okay, you can sleep with me tonight.” She said. “But come on, I’m tired too.”

Lapis got up and followed Peridot to her bedroom, crawling in bed with her once they walked in. She hugged the small girl tightly and buried her face in her neck.

“I’m sleepy but I want you.” She whispered, sending a chill down Peridot’s back. The small girl wondered why Lapis had such an impact on her. She drew away a little and then bent over her, kissing her neck. Lapis sighed. “I’ve missed you.”

“Me too.” Peridot slowly moved down the girl’s body, caressing her every curve. Lapis drew her arms backwards and jerked her head back into the cushion as the small girl reached her inner thigh. “So much…” Lapis let out a little moan. “You have no idea.”

“You… have no idea… either…” Lapis managed to say between her gasps. “Peridot, listen…”

But the small girl moved upwards again and kissed her, stopping her from speaking.

“Just relax tonight, Lapis…” She mumbled, stroking her cheek.

“But Peridot… You need to know how much I…”

“I love you.” Peridot answered then, and the rest was drowned in Lapis’ gasps which made it easier for her not to answer, even if she felt the same way. For feelings were never the blue haired girl’s problems… it was how she conveyed them to others that got her into trouble time after time, even with down to Earth Jasper. Even with sweet little Peridot.

*             *            *

Jasper and Di sat down at the fountain in the mall, laughing. They had spent the whole afternoon together, wondering from one place to another, speaking about many things. Jasper felt comfortable with her, as if she had known her for a long time and Di seemed to think the same, as none of them made an attempt to go home. As they sat there, the fountain softly spraying droplets into their hair, their eyes crossed.

“I had a wonderful day.” Di said, softly.

“Me too.” Jasper didn’t even feel her cheeks burning anymore. She was back in control and she felt confident, even though she wasn’t sure if Di really liked her. “We should do this more often.”

“We should.” Di ran her fingers through Jasper’s hair. “It’s so pretty.” She muttered.

“It’s just a bunch of hay.” Jasper shrugged it off, but she felt pleased underneath. “I really like yours too.”

“Thanks.” Di went pink and the big girl found that rather cute. She wondered how she always ended up falling for such different people… the girl before Lapis… Lapis… and now Di. It was strange, a little overwhelming.

A little later they were walking across the streets at night, one beside the other, practically shuffling their feet in order to walk slowly. When they arrived at Jasper’s apartment, the big girl looked at Di.

“Where do you live? Let me take you home.”

Di put her hands up, shaking her head.

“No no!” She exclaimed. “That’s okay!”

“Oh come on!” Jasper grinned. “You can’t live in a bigger dump than mine…”

Di laughed a little.

“Don’t worry, Jasper. I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “I’ll just call my… a cab.”

They were inches from each other and it seemed as if they had begun a staring contest, but they both knew it wasn’t like that. Jasper felt drawn to her and slowly moved towards the girl, placing her lips on hers.

Jasper was a good kisser and a passionate one, therefore Di felt her knees go weak in the sweet embrace. They stood there for a while, never minding the time nor the passers by. And then Jasper broke lose, suddenly realizing her mistake.

“I’m… so sorry.” She muttered, as Di stared at her, utterly surprised. “I’m really sorry, I didn’t mean this to happen…”

“You…” Di held her hand to her lips. “You… like me…”

Jasper stared at her, motionless.

“Yes, yes I do.” She whispered.

And then Di smiled, grabbing Jasper’s hand.

“I’ve never kissed a girl before.” She admitted.

“And how was it?” Jasper found herself asking. Di giggled.

“Nobody has ever kissed me like that. It was great.”

Jasper smiled, stroking her hair gently.

“It was great.” She kissed the top of her head.

A few minutes later, Di was going home in a cab and Jasper slumped on her bed in her apartment, heart still racing. She smiled.

 

*             *            *

Jasper sighed peacefully as she sat on the sunny terrace of the University Café, drinking a beer with Amethyst, Garnet and Pearl. She felt really happy as she and Di had been texting and meeting up during those days and her friends had noticed a glint in her eyes.

“So… that girl you’ve been seeing…” Amethyst punched her in the shoulder. “Give us the dirt!”

“Amethyst!” Pearl looked at her, indignant. She turned to Jasper. “You seem really happy… How did Lapis take the news, though?”

Jasper took a gulp of beer.

“Lapis is over me.” She said, solemnly. “And she doesn’t know I’m seeing someone.”

Amethyst clapped her hands.

“Way to go.”

“I just… I haven’t been able to see her yet.” Jasper muttered, looking away. “I’ve been busy…”

“YEAH.” Amethyst laughed. “WE KNOW.” She and Pearl grinned stupidly as Garnet held a thumbs up and Jasper frowned at them.

“Guys… seriously…”

Pearl laughed.

“Anyway, when are we going to meet this Di?”

“Well… Spring Break starts next week – although the mall sure seems to think it’s summer – , I say we go camping somewhere… all of us.” Jasper suggested. “I’ll bring Di.”

“What about Lapis?” Garnet asked.

“She can come too… and Peri.” Jasper finished her beer. “We can share tents… Rose and Greg should come with us as well, and maybe Dewey…”

“Ugh, can’t we just go without them?” Pearl mumbled. “Greg and Rose probably have plans anyway and if you guys are trying to make me share a tent with Dewey – it’s not happening! How many times do I have to tell you I’m…”

“Pearl, relax, it’s just a brainstorm.” Garnet leaned backwards in her chair. “Just share a tent with Amethyst, you’ll be fine.”

Pearl growled and picked up one of the magazines that lay on the table. She flipped trough it in an attempt to ignore the others but then gave an exclamation.

“Look! She’s in it again!” She turned the page towards the others, revealing a wiery blond girl in a swimsuit posing for the camera. “Yellow Diamond has now started her own swimsuit line…”

“More like she put her name on something other people made…” Garnet raised an eyebrow.

“She really has it all…” Amethyst stared at the picture. “Do you think she’ll provoke all kind of money scandals like her father when she takes over his business?”

Jasper was the only one who hadn’t uttered a word, for she was staring motionless at the picture. The blond girl was familiar, too familiar… She was wearing makeup here and a lot of fake tan, but the girl in the picture was unmistakebly Di.

Jasper got up suddenly.

“I have to go.”

*             *            *

There were no words, there were barely thoughts for what Jasper was feeling at that moment as she walked home through the crowded streets. Images of Di – a very different Di – appearing so suddenly in that magazine had shocked her beyond reason. She wasn’t exactly sure why, but she could only imagine that it was because she had come to know a side of her which she couldn’t associate at all to the rich girl in the pictures. Jasper sighed; if her entire time spent with Di had been a lie, was it even worth confronting her about it? And what’s more… why would she even bother to lie to someone like Jasper? What could Jasper possibly have that she would want?

Deeply immersed in her own thoughts, she hardly realized that she had already passed her door and had to double back in order to get in. She went up to her apartment and slumped down on the couch, silently, without even a groan.

Jasper had no idea how long she had been staring at the ceiling when the doorbell rang. The big girl got up slowly and walked towards the door, buzzing whoever it was in. But when she opened the apartment door, it was no other than Di herself – normal casual Di, with no fake tan and very simple makeup indeed. And she was beautiful.

“Hey Jasper, I was texting you and your phone was switched off so I got kinda worried which is stupid of me, of course, as you probably have a million things and a half to do but I still couldn’t help it…” She took a deep breath. “So… um… is everything fine?”

Jasper sighed and looked her in the eyes.

“Actually, no… no, everything is not fine.” She said in a hard voice. “Would you like to tell me a little about yourself now, Yellow Diamond?”

Di went pale and wasn’t able to hold Jasper’s look. She stared at the floor, ashamed and then started speaking in a trembling voice.

“Some people don’t recognize me when I’m wearing my everyday clothes…” She mumbled. “But you didn’t even know who I was when you met me at that nightclub… you had no idea, and that was so… refreshing…”

“Refreshing?” Jasper growled. “You lied about who you are! I’ve met someone you’re not! Who are you even? I thought you were kind and gentle and overall, a perfect girl who brightened my days again! And now I find out that you’re just a rich spoiled girl who decided to play dressup for a few days because it was so refreshing!”

Just a second afterwards, Jasper knew she was being unreasonable and that she had clearly overreacted. She wasn’t usually like that… only Lapis had ever been able to make her that angry… But before she could even start to apologize, Di moved forward. Jasper took a step back, as there was something very different about the girl: her sweet expression had been replaced by a hard cold sneer and she could have sworn she had also grown a foot taller. She stood proudly, heaving her chest up and Jasper knew then how wrong she had really been about her. This wasn’t Di, Di probably didn’t even exist. The girl in font of her now was Yellow Diamond, daughter of a very rich businessman… a girl who had learned to order people about before even learning to read and write… a girl who was born to lead.

“You’re right.” She said, in a very cold voice. “I’m Yellow Diamond and my family owns almost everything in this state. My bedroom is bigger than your entire apartment and my house would engulf the entire block. I get offered photo-shoots and endorsements on a daily basis and any school will accept me, because I can afford it. And because they can’t afford to say no to me. People fear me and what my father might do to them, because most of them work for him here.” Jasper stood motionless, taking it all in. “But you know what the real perks are?” She continued bitterly. “I don’t have any real friends because they only come close to me because of my money, most are too afraid to be near me anyway… I can’t date because of the very same reason and my father will probably pick some rich man for me to marry anyway… I can’t even prove myself to the world because there will always be a carpet at my feet, cushioning my way towards a success that I didn’t earn.” She gasped for air, her expression turning a little gentler. “So yeah… Sorry for pretending to be somebody else, sorry for wanting to know if you’d be my friend even if you had no idea about my life… sorry for falling in love with you without telling you that I am – in fact – a spoiled rich bitch.”

She was glaring at Jasper, her chest heaving up and down rhythmically. The big girl, although shocked by her reaction, drew close to her anyway and hugged her. Di rested her head on her shoulder and shuddered, letting out a small sob.

“Real me.” She whispered.

“Di…” Jasper muttered, caressing her hair. “I like who you are… I like you… I was stupid before, I was just mad at you for concealing all that… but you’re still _you_ to me.” She took her face between her hands and looked her in the eye. “And I love you, Di… Yellow Diamond… More than you know.”

“You barely know me…” She mumbled.

“I’m willing to find out more.” Jasper hugged her again. “I’m willing to be with you even if your father will probably send the army after me…”

“Don’t be silly.” Di drew away from her. “I would never allow that.”

“He will try to eliminate me if I say you’re my girlfriend.”

“I am?”

“Do you want to be…? You know… My girlfriend?” Jasper went red. But Di’s eyes were shining and she leaned forwards to kiss her. For a moment they just stood there, embraced in the sweetest kiss. Then, Di broke away.

“Of course.” She said. “More than anything.”

And none of the two could wait any longer as they moved towards the bedroom, completely engulfed in their passion. As Jasper kissed and caressed her, she felt a smile forming on her lips. She was attracted to difficult people, but that didn’t’ seem like a problem anymore… she could handle it now… she had been an irresponsible thwat with Lapis, but now she knew she would take care of Di, she knew it would go well. And as they fell asleep, hugging each other, Jasper knew that everything was going to be okay from now on.

*             *            *

Lapis knocked on the door but no one answered. She insisted a little and then it just swung open, as if somebody had forgotten to draw the lock the other night. She walked in, a little puzzled.

“Jasper?”

Jasper came crashing out of her room, half naked, pulling up some pants and looking extremely flustered. She tried to close the door quickly and almost fell over trying to do so.

“Hey.” She muttered, trying to sound casual.

“Hey.” Lapis answered, raising an eyebrow.

“So um… how did you get in?”

“The door was kinda open.”

“And… what time is it?”

“Noon.”

Jasper nodded, still trying to shut the door completely, but getting her vest stuck between it. She pulled at it hard and it swung open, revealing Di, covered by blankets.

For a moment, everyone froze. Di knew exactly who Lapis was, Jasper had no idea how she would react and Lapis herself had not been expecting anything in that direction. She looked at them both, and then she spoke.

“Yeah, so… Amethyst told me about the Spring Break thing… And I was sent here to check on you and ask if you were coming too, because Pearl’s trying to book some beach resort and you weren’t answering your phone.” She said, casually. She turned to Di. “You must be Yellow Diamond, nice to meet you.”

Di grinned.

“Nice to meet you too, Lapis.”

“Great.” Jasper muttered. “Okay, well, yes, I wanna go, but…”

“Jasper.” Di said, sweetly. “Why don’t you all come camping at my beach? It could be fun…”

“You have a beach?” Jasper and Lapis asked at the same time.

“Yep.” She grinned. “It’s free.”

Lapis burst out laughing and started texting in the group chat.

“I can only say that I approve this relationship, Jasper.” She smiled. “A PRIVATE BEACH!”

Jasper and Di laughed, a little relieved. The big girl stared fondly at Lapis… she really had changed a lot…They had both changed. And she had no doubt it was thanks to Peridot.

“Well, I’m leaving.” Lapis smiled. “Peri and I have to cram for the exams. And you should too…”

And with that, she left, making Jasper feel happier and more relieved than she had felt in a very long time. Things were definitely going to be okay from now on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEXT CHAPTER: Spring Break Part 1
> 
> The gang goes camping on Di's private beach for Spring Break. Is there room for angst, misunderstandings and fear? Yes. And fun, also fun. And Lapidot, lots of Lapidot. With an added bonus of PearlAmethyst and Disper (?) 
> 
> Updating soon ^^ (I SWEAR I WILL UPDATE SOON ;A;)
> 
> #YellowDiamondRocks


	10. Spring Break Part One

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spring Break has started: Lapis experiences guilt, Jasper worries about her friends and Pearl's relationship with Amethyst reaches a new level of evolution.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Gosh, this took ages. I'm so sorry. I've just been really busy as I had to move to Holland. I've just arrived today and I'm crashing at my uncles' place. I've been writing on the plane again -.-  
> I'm really happy with all the nice comments you've left me, I love reading them. I hope you like this chapter and thank you for following Roommates!!! You guys are awesome!!!

** Chapter Nine **

** Spring Break – Part One **

****

Peridot slammed her fingers on the keyboard of her laptop with such force that Lapis jumped.

“DONE!” The small girl exclaimed. “SENT.”

“Good for you.” Lapis took a sip from her coffee and went back to her own report, sighing a little. Both of them had been working on their paper the whole evening and part of the night. It was the last bit of work they had to do before Spring Break and it had taken quite a lot of their time.

“I can’t believe I finished it… and so last-minute!” Peridot exclaimed happily. She frowned a little at Lapis. “You know – before I met you, I always did my reports on time and I sent them like two weeks before the deadline… now I’m changing my name to Deadline-idot.” She paused. “Or Peri-line.” She chuckled at her own joke. “Which one do you like best?”

“Neither.” Lapis said dryly, taking another sip of coffee. “And shut up, I still have eight hundred words to write.”

Peridot cleared the empty coffee mugs from the table – they hadn’t really been too busy reusing them – and placed them in the sink. She started scrubbing them under the running water and smiled. She felt happy for finishing the report on time and just sharing moments, any moments, with Lapis. Their relationship was a constant fluctuation, as if they were programmed to behave differently every week. Sometimes Lapis was unbearable – in someone else’s words, Peridot would never describe it as that – and all she did was bark at the small girl. Other times they would just stay on the couch all day, huddled together, binge watching any series they wanted. They had similar taste in those things. And Peridot cherished every moment with her because she knew that it might not be eternal and that one of them would move away from the other at some point. But now she just wanted to dream on a little and be by her side.

“God, fuck!” She heard Lapis exclaim behind her, and she laughed at her swearing. She found it extremely cute sometimes and just wanted to hug her. But that probably wouldn’t be the best thing to do at that moment…

Peridot finished doing the dishes and went to the couch. She lay down on it, twisting and turning her back so as to get comfortable and sighed. Lapis turned towards her, with a glare.

“Don’t you dare turn on the TV! I’m still busy!”

“I know.” Peridot answered, good-natured. “I have my laptop right here with me.” She pointed at her lap. “I’m just gonna write a little.”

“More writing?” Lapis raised an eyebrow.

“Just… my stuff.” Peridot went red. “Get back to work.”

“You write… stuff?” Lapis narrowed her eyes. “I’m pretty sure they’re all Percy and Pierre fanfictions…”

Peridot hid behind her screen, blushing feverently and decided not to answer. Lapis was far to clever on the Internet, she would have no trouble whatsoever finding her fanfiction account. She had the same username everywhere. Pierrecy5XL. She would never stand a chance.

Lapis sniggered and went on with her report. She was almost finished.

 

                                            *              *               *

Jasper pushed another dozen shirts in her gym-bag, using all the force in her arms. Di, at her side, raised an eyebrow.

“You do know… it’s a camping trip, right? We’ll be at my private beach, not my house.”

“That… might be so.” Jasper tried to fit in her best jacket. “But… if we do come across your dad… I will be dressed properly.”

Di laughed.

“We probably won’t come across my dad… he’s always away.” She said. “So how about you pack that bag with towels and bikinis instead?” She lay an arm on Jasper’s shoulder. “You don’t have to be nervous.”

“I’m not.” Jasper’s voice came out rather squeaky. She cleared her throat. “I’m not.”

Di laughed again and gave her a quick hug.

“Okay, keep on packing your shirts, you look hot in them. And you will be hot in them too, but that’s not my problem.” She winked at her. “Can I log on to your online game thingy? Please?”

Jasper snorted.

“Go ahead. But please say it’s you this time… and don’t kill anyone on your own team, that’s plain evil… and…” She looked at her. “… just try not to mess the game up like last time…”

“Okay yeah sure.” Di switched on Jasper’s laptop with glee and put on her headset. Once she was in the game, she heard Amethyst’s voice:

“Dammit, Pearl! You have to take it from them!”

“Take it from them?” Came Pearl’s voice. “Without asking? Or paying? That’s stealing!”

“That’s the point!” Amethyst cried. “Look, I have to finish my fucking report! Please take care of my character before I can play again!”

“Guys…” Came Garnet’s voice. “We have a boss to beat. Let’s go, follow me to the mine-train.”

Di ran after Garnet’s character into the dark mine and hopped in one of the wagons.

“Hello Di.” Came Garnet’s voice.

“How did you…?”

“Jasper texted us.”

Di frowned at Jasper, who was still packing.  
“Whatever.”

“Can’t wait to meet you in person!” Came Pearl’s voice.

“Yeah, me too.” Di laughed. “Hey, where’s Peridot?”

“She’ll be here soon. She has to finish her report.”

Suddenly another character appeared.

“I’m here!” Peridot said. “I had to go to my room, Lapis is still busy with her report. Have you guys finished?”

“Not Ame.” Pearl snorted. “Poor Ame.”

“PEARL JUST CONCENTRATE ON THE GAME!” Came her roommate’s voice.

Jasper jumped next to Di, ready to take over. Di frowned and pushed the computer away from her.

“I wanna play!”

“I swear to God, I’m going to create an account for you and hack the whole system so that you have enough skills to participate in our battles.” Jasper groaned. “If just to get my character back.”

“THE PERKS OF HAVING A GIRLFRIEND!” Amethyst shouted through Pearl’s headset.

Suddenly they heard Lapis’ voice coming from far away.

“I FINISHED THE REPORT!”

“Congrats.” Came Peridot’s voice. “You have to pack your suitcase now.”

“DON’T TELL ME WHAT TO DO.”

“It’ll be worse tomorrow morning.”

“You’re right.”

Jasper sniggered.

“Does Lapis know she’s practically on speaker?”

“No.” Peridot answered, with a grin. “Wait for it.”

They heard Lapis come in once more.

“Peridot I can’t find my entire wardrobe again. Have you been washing stuff without my permission?”

“Yes, it’s called doing the laundry, you should try it sometime.”

“This is my house and I do the laundry when I want to do it.”

“Yeah, so I’ve noticed, therefore I kinda took over.”

Everyone in the game was holding their breath, shaking in silent laughter.

“Whatever.” Lapis frowned. “Do I have to take a bikini, by the way?”

“Only if you want to. You can always swim naked.”

“You know I would.”

At that point both Jasper and Pearl couldn’t hold out any longer and burst into loud laughter, making Lapis narrow her eyes.

“You’re doing that thing again in which you play that game and you’re on skype, right?”

“Yep.” Peridot wiped her eyes from her tears of laughter.

“I’ll be in my room…” Lapis sighed. “Packing.”

Jasper heard Peridot say ‘I’ll help you’ and logging off.

“She loves her.” She said, with a smile.

 

                                            *              *               *

“Lapis, come on… that one’s cute.” Peridot pointed at a ruffled white bikini.

“Are you kidding me?” Lapis said. “My mom got me that like ages ago!”

“I love it.” Peridot smiled. “I bet it looks really good on you.”

Lapis frowned and stuffed it in her bag.

“Okay. What about you?”

“I’m packed.”

“Okay… well…” Lapis smirked. “You’re packed… I’m packed… you know what time it is…”

“Time to go to bed?” Peridot raised an eyebrow.

“Time to read your fanfics.” Lapis switched on her laptop, sitting down on her bed. As it went on, she pulled off her clothes, threw her bra across the room and pulled on one of the crop tops she used as pajamas while Peridot stared in wonder. Lapis smiled at the impact she always managed to make on the girl and yanked at her hair, gently.

“C’mon, Peri, get comfortable… come here next to me.” She pulled the blanket back so that Peridot could lay beside her. The small girl obeyed and Lapis drew an arm around her while she searched on the Internet with the other. She found Peridot’s account in no time. To be honest – she thought – one didn’t need to be a professional hacker to do that.

“Wow, you have so many… I’ll start with the last one…” Lapis clicked on it. She read quickly through the first paragraphs and then started to giggle. “Oh my God, Peri.”

After a while, both of them were very red in the face. Lapis switched off her laptop and looked at her small friend, eyes widened.

“Holy shit, Peri.” She muttered. “You wrote one hell of a sex scene there…”

“Why can’t you just let me go jump out of the window now?” Peridot whimpered. “You weren’t supposed to find it, ever…” She frowned. “I don’t want any known people reading my stuff…”

“Hah.” Lapis laughed. “You do know Jasper and Amethyst read your fanfics, right?”

“THEY WHAT.”

Lapis hugged her, laughing.

“I’m kidding, just kidding. I wouldn’t know.” She kissed Peridot’s head. “I guess we’ll have to ask them tomorrow when we see them.” She yawned and closed her eyes, nuzzling against Peridot’s chest, who hugged her tightly. As the stroked her hair, the small girl couldn’t help but wonder how it would go during their Spring Break holiday. She had heard the whole story concerning Jasper and Di from the group chat, where the big girl had explained everything in a shaky audio. She had even heard part of the news first hand when Lapis had come walking in the other day.

“So Jasper’s girlfriend has a place for us for Spring Break.” She had said, casually.

_Jasper’s what?_

Peridot wondered how Lapis was feeling about that; she didn’t seem shocked at all, but she knew the girl was able to hide her feelings very well. She never cried when she was sad, she just expressed anger… and Lapis was mostly angry about one thing or another, so she couldn’t really distinguish her moods. What if she was actually suffering and that’s why she insisted sleeping with her every night? Peridot sighed.

“Hold on a little longer.” She told herself. “She will leave you one of these days, she won’t wanna be with you anymore, so just cherish these moments until the end.”

And with that thought, she fell asleep.

 

                                            *              *               *

 

“Dammit, Pearl, I can’t find my bathing suit!” Amethyst groaned, going through piles of clothes in her room like a scavenger hunting for scraps. “Where is it?”

“How should I know?” Pearl stood at the door, not daring to come in. She had never really wanted to step a foot into Amethyst’s room, it was scary. “You probably just left all your swimming stuff at your parents’ home…”

“What am I supposed to wear?” Amethyst exclaimed. “I have nothing to put on!”

“I could lend you one of mine.” Pearl said, with a smile. “But I don’t think it would fit…” She sniggered. “You know… boobs.” She held her hands in front of her chest in order to show the difference between hers and Amethyst’s.

“Dammit Pearl.” Amethyst grinned too. “Yeah… and don’t forget the butt.”

“And the hips and everything…” Pearl laughed. “You’d be showing… too much.”

“Yall would love that.”

Pearl went a little red and moved away muttering something about adding sun-protection in her bag. Amethyst smiled and wondered if it was about time to tell her what she felt… maybe Spring Break was the perfect moment.

 

*              *               *

Peridot fondled the night table for her glasses and then remembered she was in Lapis’ room and that the table wasn’t at her right.

“Why are you touching my boobs this early? What is it, four a.m. ?” Came Lapis’ sleepy voice. Peridot drew her hand away, quickly, going red.

“It’s… uh… six am and we – or at least I – have to get up and shower before we leave.”

Lapis groaned, turned towards Peridot and threw her arms around the small girl, squeezing her tight.

“I don’t want to get up!”

“I know, I know.” Peridot patted her on the shoulder. “But you can still sleep a little longer, I have to shower anyway.”

Lapis mumbled something unintelligible and then nibbled Peridot’s neck softly, making the small girl shiver.

“Hey, I’m serious.” Peridot got up, tripped over the carpet and landed on her face with a moan. “Where are my glasses?”

“On the nigh table.” Lapis got up as well and placed them on her nose. “Better?”

“Thanks.” Peridot fumbled with her prosthetic leg, still sitting on the floor. “This stupid thing needs readjusting… it’s pretty lose…”

Lapis sat down next to her.

“Why do you wear it when you sleep?” She muttered.

“Because then I feel I’m sleeping with two legs.” Peridot looked at her. “It’s obvious. It makes me feel normal.”

Lapis shook her head.

“You don’t have to have two legs to seem normal to me.” She said, softly. “If it’s uncomfortable, you shouldn’t sleep with it. I don’t mind. No one should.”

“You would, it’s not a nice sight.” Peridot muttered, and got up, heading to the shower, but Lapis followed and shut the door behind them. The small girl looked at her, peeking through the mirror. “Did you come to spy on me?”  
“You know me too well.” Lapis smiled and turned the tap on, running a bath instead of a shower. She threw some soap in it in order to create foam and bubbles.

“That’s… such a waste…” Peridot complained.

“Hey, the rent’s pretty high… and it includes water…We can abuse a little.” Lapis winked at her and drew closer, hugging her from behind. Peridot shivered as her hands found their way under her T-shirt and slowly stroked her bare skin; Lapis’ fingertips enclosed around her breasts and the small girl let out a tiny, barely audible squeak. Lapis found it really cute when she did that.

“Well, what do you say, Peri?” She breathed in her ear, making the hairs on Peridot’s neck stand up. “You wanna get into that bath with me?”

Peridot undressed quickly and turned to look at Lapis.

“Yes.” She said.

Lapis pulled her own clothes off and then bent down to loosen the straps on Peridot’s prosthetic leg.

“Lapis.”  
“Peridot, I swear to God.”

The small girl felt the grip around her leg lessen as Lapis untied the straps and gently pulled the artificial leg away. It looked quite lifelike so it seemed weird to see it unattached in her hand. Lapis placed it next to the cabinet, with care, and held Peridot by her waist so that she wouldn’t lose her balance. Still on her knees, she kissed what remained of the small girl’s leg gently and then moved her hand up her thigh, smiling playfully at the girl.

“I will repeat what I said before we started… hanging out. You’re like a transformer, and it’s hot.”

“You didn’t… exactly say that. It’s pretty inaccurate.” Peridot frowned, but Lapis stood up and pulled her into the bathtub. They embraced as they bodies came together, water and foam all around them.

“I don’t care, you’re hot.” Lapis took Peridot’s glasses off, as they were starting to get misty, and she leaned over the girl in order to kiss her. Peridot felt Lapis’ hands run over her soapy body and she placed her own on the blue haired girl’s breasts, right in front of her.

“You are _really_ hot.” She answered. “Even though I can’t see you without my glasses. But I know you are, so that’s okay.”

“Oh my, Peridot… such word-usage…” Lapis sniggered. “I thought you preferred the adjective _beautiful_.”

“You are.” Peridot’s hands moved to her waist. “You are so beautiful that it’s hard to breathe sometimes… But that doesn’t mean you aren’t hot.”

Lapis chuckled and bent down again, feeling the hot water engulf her and moved around Peridot’s chest, branding it with small light kisses. The small girl closed her eyes and sighed deeply as she felt Lapis’ lips against her skin. It was such a peaceful moment, so very different from their usual way… Peridot enjoyed those times of intimacy a great deal, she loved it when Lapis pushed her roughly against the mattress and made her gasp… but this… this was different… as the blue haired girl moved up and down, brushing against her, it almost didn’t feel like a painful attempt to forget Jasper anymore… it actually felt right… Peridot opened her eyes to see Lapis arching her back in pleasure and knew then – at least at that moment – that the blue eyed girl had found part of her inner peace back. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, Peridot thought, but Lapis did seem happier. And at that moment the small girl realized that was all she really cared about.

Lapis shuddered and then slid down next to her in the water, her eyes closing slowly and her mouth curled in a sweet smile.

“Peri…” She whispered. “I…”

But even though Lapis knew just how much she loved the small girl, she had no idea how to properly convey it to her. She stroked her pale hair and kissed her gently.

“I’m cold.” She said. “Let’s get the towels.”

 

*              *               *

 

The station was packed with other Spring Breakers who wanted to leave the city just as much as they did. The squad looked slightly awkward, carrying backpacks and sleeping bags, some even wearing caps.

“We look like a group of scouts.” Amethyst sniggered.

“I have literally never been camping.” Peridot added. “What’s it like?”

“This won’t be exactly like camping.” Amethyst told her. The two had grown closer after their escapade some time ago. “We’ll just set up tents at Di’s beach.”

“Yeah… it’ll be like old-timey camping…” Lapis said, darkly. “Pee outside in a hole, bathe in the sea…”

Peridot looked at her with horror.

“Hey guys!” Everyone turned around; Jasper had arrived, and behind her, came Di. It was the first time that most of the gang saw her, so they went quiet and just stared.

She was tall and wiery, not unlike Lapis, to be honest. Her hair was blond and it bobbed up at her shoulder. Her eyes were dark, and in general, she seemed quite pretty without the necessity of Photoshop, like in the magazines. She stared at them, timidly.

“You must be Di.” Pearl said, to break the ice, and stepped forward, to shake her hand. The others followed and Peridot looked at the girl, half in awe, half in wonder. When it was Lapis turn to be introduced, Jasper went a little red.

“Well, you know each other…”

“Oh well, we can be introduced again.” The blue haired girl pushed her hair back over her shoulders; she was just as tall as Di herself. “I’m Lapis.”

“I’m Di. Pleased to meet you.” She grinned.

Everyone, including Jasper, was holding their breath. But Lapis seemed quite calm.

“Well, guys?” She said, casually. “Where is that train?”

As they carried their bags to the right platform, Peridot couldn’t help but wonder if Lapis was okay. People didn’t just magically heal from a heartbreak, did they? Look at Pearl… she was still crying over Rose – Amethyst had often heard her at night – and that had been going on for a really long time.

As they got onto the right train, Jasper – the tallest – hunted for some seats and found them quickly. There was a set of four seats with a table in between at each side of the carriage. Lapis placed herself at the window and Peridot hurried in order to sit next to her. Jasper immediately took the seats at the other side with Di and Garnet joined them. Amethyst placed herself opposite Peridot with a grin and Pearl seemed to doubt where to go… In the end, a little red in the face, she climbed across Amethyst’s lap in order to take the window seat opposite Lapis and even though she was pretty slim, she still had some difficulty reaching her destination. Amethyst stuck the back to her head towards the seat, but Pearl was still way too close.

“Yo P… your butt is in my face.”

“I’M DOING WHAT I CAN, OKAY.”

Lapis and Peridot sniggered.

“It’s okay, Pearl, Amethyst’s enjoying it.”

In the end, the tall girl managed to slip past and she sat down, blushing feverently. Everyone was amused by the small scene but they soon looked away as the train was leaving the station and they were on their way to Di’s place.

“So, y’all know any games?” Amethyst started rummaging through her rucksack for a deck of cards. “We can play this game I know where we slam our fists on the card when they’re the same… it’s called…”

“We’re not playing _Slut_.” Pearl cut through, shortly.

Lapis smiled absent-mindly at the view outside the window. They were passing through the suburbs and if you looked really well you could just spot the brick houses in their neighborhood. She shared a look with Peridot and they both laughed. From the other side of the corridor, Jasper stared surprised at that look of complicity and wondered how deep both were entwined in each other’s lives.

“We can play something else.” Lapis said, in a soothing voice. “Let’s play that syllable game… you know… the one where I say ‘doorbell’ and the next one has to say, for example: ‘bells’, and then the next one… well, the next one would probably be _fucked_.”

Pearl, Amethyst and Peridot laughed.

“Okay, I’ll start.” Pearl said, enthusiastically. “Countercult.”

“What the…? Of course you’d say stuff like that.” Amethyst muttered. “Ehm, let’s see… Culture?”

“Wow, Ame.”

“Shut up.”

“Ture… ture… Uhm…” Peridot’s brain started racing. “Nevermind, Amethyst wins this one… I’ll start with a new word: Spider.”

“Ew why.” Lapis glared at her. “Derp.”

“Ugh.” Pearl laughed. “Guess Lapis wins. Uhm… Polygamy.”

“What the fuck, Pearl.” Amethyst laughed. “Really?”

“Lapis, are you sure it’s the last syllable?” Peridot giggled. “I think it’s the last letter or something!”

“Yeah maybe.” Lapis laughed. “Much easier.”

“I thought it was easy.” Pearl seemed surprised.

“Of course.” Amethyst gave her an affectionate punch which made the tall girl flinch a little. “Whoops, sorry, P. I often forget that you’re soft.”

“I am not soft.” Pearl growled at her. “And I said Polygamy. Good luck finding a word starting with a Y.”

“Oh so you think I can’t do it???” Amethyst said, angrily. “You! You is a Y word! And Yugoslavia, whatever that is! And Yoghurt, I think! And Yufo… oh wait no, that’s with a U…”

“I was kidding.” Pearl said, fondly. “With which word do you wanna go?”

“Yoghurt.”

“Okay… tramp…” Peridot started coughing, something was in her throat.

“TRAMP? WOOAA PERI!!!” Amethyst guffawed. “I didn’t expect that.”

“No… no…” Peridot said, choking. “I meant… tramp… tramp…”

Lapis was shaking with silent laughter and then thumped the small girl on the back. Jasper looked up and saw her stroking Peridot’s hair gently, which also surprised her. They weren’t very affectionate in public…

“What were you going to say?” Lapis smiled.

“Trampoline.” Peridot said, in a hoarse voice, and everyone smiled.

“Good.” Lapis laughed and to the squad’s amazement, she leaned towards the girl and kissed her softly on the lips. Peridot’s eyes widened and she stopped coughing. Her cheeks went a little red as Lapis moved away, acting casual.

“Elephant.” She muttered.

Jasper couldn’t believe her eyes… Lapis was kissing Peridot in public now… that was truly amazing, if she could do that, it had to mean something. It had to mean that she was serious… She shot them a worried look but they didn’t seem to be very worried about her at all. Lapis’ carefree attitude was starting to bug her: it felt strange and slightly suspicious.

Jasper wanted to kick herself for always fearing the worst. She cared about her friends, Lapis and Peridot were two of the most important people in her life. She wanted to believe that Lapis had grown, that she had come further but she knew the girl well – too well – and she could only hope she wasn’t using Peridot in some jealousy-scheme now… that would truly break her heart.

“Hey.” Di muttered, next to her. She seemed sleepy and her head had slipped upon the big girl’s shoulder. “You’re awfully silent.”

“I’m a bit worried.” Jasper confessed.

“Lapidot?” Di asked.

“Lapi… what?”

“Never mind… are you worried about Peridot and Lapis?”

“How did you know?”

“Duh. You’ve been staring at them all morning.”

Di nuzzled against her and kissed her arm gently. Jasper threw her own arm around her, happy she was there with her. It felt so comforting to be with her; Di was really different from Lapis in that aspect. Jasper always had to be the strong one, the one who never crumbled, the one who could handle the ticking bomb that Lapis was… but with Di it was different… They could lean on each other mutually and she wasn’t used to that.

The train slowed down a little as it left the suburbs behind and it crossed the tunnels that were used to exit the city. After those, the squad could stare at a pretty countryside with loads of fields and just a little further, the ocean.

“Man, we live so close to all these chill places.” Amethyst looked amazed. “And we never go there…”

“It would be easier if the train wouldn’t rage through the suburbs for twenty minutes… It takes almost half an hour to get out of town and it isn’t even that big.” Pearl complained. “One of us should get a car.”

Peridot’s eyes widened as the train started moving alongside the coast line and she tried to get closer to the window. Lapis smiled and held her by her small waist so that she wouldn’t tumble over when the train made a violent shake.

“It’s so blue!” Peridot exclaimed.

“Don’t you ever go to the ocean?” Lapis laughed.

“I live really far away from the ocean… you know… at my parent’s place.” Peridot sighed. “All we have is a lake.”

“Lakes are cool.” Lapis sighed. “I was raised in a village near the sea, though, so – like my mum used to say – I have salt water in my veins.”

“Ew.” Pearl muttered, from across. Lapis laughed.

“Anyway.” She continued. “You’re going to have a blast, Peri.”

The train made an odd movement and Peridot landed on her lap. She giggled nervously and tried to get away quickly but Lapis held on to her. She was such a tiny thing that even with the table blocking the way, she still fit perfectly on her lap.

“This way you can stare out of the window all you like.” The blue haired girl smiled.

Amethyst’s eyebrows were almost reaching her hairline and she looked at Pearl, who was staring at them too, her mouth wide open.

“First they kiss, now this… what’s with all the fluff?” Amethyst hissed.

“I don’t know but it’s kind of cute…” Pearl smiled.

At that moment, Garnet occupied Peridot’s empty seat.

“Jasper and Di fell asleep.” She said.

But Jasper wasn’t asleep. She was worried about her friends and her brain was racing, hunting for explanations on their weird behavior.

A quarter of an hour later, the train was going through a mountain pass and they could see many beaches laying below them. The squad looked excited.

“I’m so glad we’re all going to the beach together!” Amethyst exclaimed. “It’s gonna be FUUUN.”

“It’ll be nice.” Garnet smiled. “It’s a pity Rose and Greg couldn’t come, though.”

“Yes, why didn’t they?” Peridot asked, shifting on Lapis’ lap.

“Greg had a gig somewhere… And Rose went with him.” Pearl said, dryly.

There was an uncomfortable silence as everyone looked away, not daring to meet her eyes. In the end, Amethyst sighed and looked outside, trying to find a new subject to talk about.

“Look, a gull.”

Lapis stared and than her eyes widened.

“Look, a nudist-beach!” She exclaimed, amused. Everyone except Pearl peeked through the window while the latter muttered something about them being immature. Amethyst laughed.

“Oh God, they have balls.”

“AMETHYST!”

“I meant like… they have… courage.” Amethyst sniggered.

“I don’t get it.” Peridot muttered and Lapis whispered the joke in her ear. Peridot went red and everyone laughed.

Suddenly Di, who had just woken up, clapped her hands.

“Guys, this is our stop.”

“Naked Beach?” Amethyst looked delighted.

“Well… we’re nearby…” Di laughed.

The gang scrambled to their feet and started huddling their bags out of the train. Once they were on the platform, they saw that it was a small station, rather picturesque, but a large amount of tourists got out with them. They headed to the right, which led to the nudist beach. Di, with a laugh, led them to the left. They moved out of the station and walked along a small road that entwined upwards into the mountains. There were small white houses on either side and it was really quiet, unlike the other part of town which connected to the beach.

They walked for about twenty minutes, pulling their bags across the stony road, panting in the hot Sun. But then they reached a fork in the road and Di grinned at them.

“The path on the left leads down to our beach.” She said, and gave Jasper a big iron key that looked rather rusty. “This is to open the gate. Make yourselves at home, I’ll be there in a while.” She walked towards the path on the right which led to a huge mansion at the top of the mountain. “I’m going to my house to get some stuff and say hi. You guys go ahead.”

“Okay.” Jasper hesitated a little and then leaned forward to kiss her. Afterwards, Di smiled and then walked up the path.

“See you later!”

The gang walked down the path towards the beach until they came to a big iron gate that went from rock to rock. Jasper moved forwards and tried to open it but the key wouldn’t budge.

“Why… aren’t… you working???” She mumbled, irritated. She left her bag on the floor and tried again, but the big key was just too rusty.

“Here, let me.” Amethyst took of her jacket, revealing her white tank top and she started shaking the key violently. Pearl moved forward and stopped her.

“There’s no need for violence.” She said, smugly. “These things need precision.” She cracked her knuckles and started moving they key around, but it didn’t work either. “Hmm.” She frowned. “What if…”

“Let me.” Peridot had taken a bottle of shampoo out of her back and started rubbing it on the key with a piece of paper. The others just stared. “We don’t have any oil, so…”

“Look at Peri, spreading lube all over the key.” Amethyst sniggered and she earned a push from Pearl.

But even Peridot’s method didn’t work and they all sighed.

“Are we just going to wait here until Di comes back?” Pearl asked, as Garnet tried the key out. “I mean… it’s not like we have much choice…”

“No, I don’t want to look stupid.” Jasper muttered and she peered up to the rocks on either side of the gate. “We can climb this shit.”

“What? No.” Pearl crossed her arms over her chest. “Jasper, I’m not doing this.”

The big girl looked at her and then quickly took her bag away from her and threw it over the gate so that it landed neatly in the sand, on the other side. Pearl stared horrified at her lost possessions.

“Now you will.” Jasper grinned. “Who’s bag is next?”

Reluctantly, everyone gave their bags away to Jasper who tossed them over the gate. All except Garnet, who chucked it over herself.

“Nobody touches my stuff.”

When the bags had reached their destination, Jasper picked Peridot up and started pushing her up the rocky wall. The small girl squirmed in protest.

“What? Let me go!” Peridot kicked the wall with her legs.

“Don’t be silly, I’m giving you a boost!” Jasper pushed her till the top. “Now jump down onto the other side.”

“It’s really far.”

“Don’t be a little b…”

“JASPER.”

“Okay, hang on, I’ll help you but first I’m gonna push the others up.”

One by one, Jasper gave the rest of them a boost until they were all sitting on top of the wall. When it was Lapis’ turn, Jasper looked away and offered her hands without daring to meet her eyes. The blue haired girl didn’t hesitate and got on the wall quickly enough. Garnet, from the top, held out a hand to Jasper and the big girl was able to get up as well. Then, Amethyst jumped down and the rest followed, one by one, until only Peridot was left up there.

“I don’t really do that thing in which you jump from a high place.” The small girl said, staring at them awkwardly.

“You can do it.” Jasper held her arms open. “I’ll catch you.”

But at that moment Lapis stepped forward and smiled at the small girl, who sat perched on top of the wall, looking frightened.

“Hey, Peri.” Her voice was seductive, Jasper noticed. “Why don’t you slide your leg over the wall like you’re getting off a horse? Then just let go and I’ll be right there to catch you. Close your eyes.”

Peridot heaved a deep sigh.

“Okay.”

And slowly, she shifted until she was in the right position to jump and then let herself fall in Lapis’ arms, who staggered a little and then dropped to her knees in the sand. They both giggled.

“Well done.” Lapis smiled, and kissed the top of her head.

“I think my leg really needs readjusting.” Peridot hissed in her ear.

Amethyst, who was heaving her bag up again, moved towards Jasper.

“Someone’s changed her trustee.”

“Well, good.” Jasper muttered back. “It’s good that she trusts Lapis. Good.”

The gang moved forwards along the pristine beach, staring in wonder at the fresh clean water and the lack of people. It wasn’t often one got to see a beach like that; it almost gave a wintery effect: clean and pure.

They left their bags in a small circle of rocks and decided it would be a good place to set up camp as it was on a higher level than the rest of the beach and the tide wouldn’t be able to reach it.

“Is this really necessary?” Amethyst had protested. “We’re really far from the water.”

“If you want to wake up with your sleeping bag in the water, go ahead.” Jasper had answered, dryly. She wasn’t in the best of moods.

They set up the tents while they waited for Di and Amethyst started jumping up and down, excitedly.

“I wanna go swim!” She exclaimed.

“Well, we did just set up our tent.” Pearl smiled. “We can go for a swim.”

“Great!” Amethyst hopped inside the tent they were sharing in order to get her bathing suit and Pearl followed. They both rummaged through their bags and the tall girl closed the strap so that they could change without being seen.

Amethyst felt suddenly shy, as the tent was quite small and they were just a few inches away from each other. Pearl had her back towards her and she was slowly removing her clothes, which made Amethyst’s cheeks burn. She turned around and fumbled with the straps of her bikini, hoping Pearl would leave before she started undressing. But the tall girl seemed to have some trouble adjusting the straps as well and Amethyst groaned mentally. She hesitated, but in the end decided to undress quickly and started fighting with her bikini top, which just wouldn’t roll down.

“Need some help?” Came Pearl’s amused voice and Amethyst wanted to die.

“I…”

But Pearl was already behind her and she gently pulled her bikini top down so that it covered her chest at the convenient places. Amethyst, still red, turned around to face her.

“Thanks.” She muttered. “It’s always hard to get it down.”

“Yep.” Pearl grinned. “It’s hard to cover your Ame-tits.”

Amethyst’s eyes widened in shock and she stared at Pearl like she had never seen her before. Had those words really just come out of her mouth?

“Pearl!” She exclaimed, after the initial shock was gone. “Holy smokes!”

“What? A girl can joke sometimes.” Pearl crawled out of the tent with a smile and started applying sunscreen on her pale skin. Amethyst followed and stared at her as she rubbed her body with the shiny substance.

Pearl was so beautiful… Her pale wiery complexion, her soft red hair… those pretty blue eyes that stared right through you… Amethyst knew this just couldn’t go on any longer or she’d burst. She had to tell her…

“Pearl?”

The tall girl turned around, with a smile.

“Yes, Amethyst?”

“Nevermind.” Amethyst sped off towards the water and threw herself in between the waves, as if she hoped to cool her burning face in the cold foam. It wasn’t very warm yet at this time of year. She dived under now and again, trying to shake that feeling… those feelings off. It wasn’t easy at all; what she really wanted was to tell her roommate how much she liked her. She had too… she didn’t know how to pretend.

Pearl came in slowly, muttering at the cold waves that splashed around her and made her shudder. Amethyst stared at her; the bathing suit she was wearing was quite pretty: it was a pale blue bikini tied together with laces which didn’t look very strong. Former Amethyst would have pulled the little strings just to annoy her but this Amethyst would do it for a very different reason. The girl turned a little red at the thought of making love to Pearl… how weird was that? Who would have ever thought…?

“Hey!” Pearl was finally at the deep end, smiling. “It’s really cold.”

“Do you think so? I think it’s hot…” Amethyst could have kicked herself. Pearl turned around towards the beach.

“I wonder why the others aren’t coming in.” She said, nervously. “Why is Jasper in such a bad mood?”

“I don’t know, maybe she’s pissed about Lapis not caring she’s with Di.” Amethyst answered, grateful to talk about something.

“Jasper isn’t like that.” Pearl pushed her bangs out of her face with an elegant movement. “Anyway, their loss. We can just hang out here, where it’s cool. Or freezing, better said.”

Amethyst splashed around, wondering if her infatuation was shown on her face. She stared at Pearl’s chest, as her bathing suit had become slightly transparent in the water. It felt strange to want her that much after all that time. She remembered the first day they had met, in University: it was the introduction week and somehow they had managed to sit next to each other in the assembly hall. Amethyst had admired her looks then, but she hadn’t felt anything special. Now, everything was different: all she wanted was to kiss Pearl right there, right now.

The tall girl went underwater and then came up again, shaking her hair with a laugh. She seemed happy, carefree… very different from her usual self… but of course, being away from Rose had allowed her to actually lay some worries of her mind.

Amethyst sighed and smiled at Pearl, who grinned back.

“You look… cheerful.” She smiled. “Were you looking forward to this holiday?”

“More than you know.” Pearl drew closer. “After all that studying, I really needed a break… and I could use some Sun after being locked in my room for weeks… the city is suffocating…”

Amethyst nodded. She glanced at the beach, but they were too far away to see what the others were doing or if Di had come back. She sighed and looked back at Pearl.

“Right?” She agreed. “Also, to be honest, you could use a break from Rose.”

A shadow fell upon Pearl’s face and for a moment, the girl wished she had held her tongue, but then the tall girl smiled again.

“Yeah… I think I really need some time away from her… seeing Rose is bad enough for me, and when she brings Greg… I kind of die inside.” She looked away, half embarrassed. “I mean… I…”

“I know.” Amethyst said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “You’ll be fine.”

“I will be fine.” Pearl smiled at her. “It’s good to be away from her, I guess.”

Amethyst smiled as well and let go of her shoulder, her heart sinking. On the one hand she wanted Pearl to let go of Rose because she had a hard time seeing the girl suffer… on the other hand – the egoistic one – she wished Pearl would just turn to her instead. It was an ongoing battle of conscious.

After some time, they both headed back to the coast, wondering if Di had come back. They were feeling hungry from their swim.

 

*              *               *

As Pearl and Amethyst were in the water, Lapis and Peridot were struggling with their tent. Neither had much experience in those things and the hot Sun wasn’t helping.

“My God!” Lapis exclaimed, after the fifth attempt. “How do people do this?”

“Is this supposed to be fun?” Peridot tugged at the tent. “They make it look so easy in CPH…”

The two of them sat down on a rock, with a sigh. Lapis put an arm around Peridot and groaned loudly in frustration.

“Why can’t life just be easy…” She complained, holding Peridot against her. The small girl smiled and nuzzled in her neck, comfortably.

“It’s hard sometimes… but there are also moments when it’s really good.” She smiled, kissing Lapis’ neck softly. The blue haired girl shivered. “I don’t think we’d appreciate the good moments if there weren’t any bad ones…”

“That’s… I…” Lapis shifted a little, but she didn’t let go of the small girl. “I can’t appreciate good moments.” She confessed.

“What?”

“I can’t see them when they’re there, I don’t know what they really feel like. In my life, everything good is always ruined by something bad afterwards. Now I just see good moments as a prequel to suffering.” Lapis hung her head. “I know it sounds bad, but that’s just real for me…”

Peridot turned towards her and stared into her eyes. It was always hard for her to read Lapis, but this time it was almost impossible. The girl had an empty look on her face which contrasted with the happier mood she had been in those days.

“Lapis…” She muttered. “That’s really sad.”

“I guess.” Lapis smiled at her. “That’s just me.”

“But…” Peridot placed her hands upon her waist and started caressing her fondly. “You know; good moments aren’t just something before bad moments… they’re… good! They’re independent! You don’t need to compare them to anything because they’re wonderful! They make your heart lift and you just want to sing because you suddenly feel so happy… whatever happened before or whatever happens afterwards is just an illusion at that moment…”  
“Isn’t happiness an illusion?” Lapis sighed, as she shivered under Peridot’s touch.

“Then is this an illusion?” Peridot pushed her back against the rock and bent over her to kiss her and Lapis sighed, placing her arms around the small girl’s back. “When I’m with you, everything seems real… and safe.”

“I feel the same.” Lapis sighed. “My life’s a mess and I’m a depressive and obnoxious person, but when I’m with you… I actually feel decent… Like I’m awake for a small period of time between sleeping.” She kissed the small girl. “You’re… wonderful.”

Peridot drew away, a little surprised at Lapis’ sudden display of true feelings, but she felt oddly pleased. It was nice to know that the blue haired girl appreciated her.

“Peridot.” Lapis said suddenly. “I think I…”

At that moment they herd a loud booming voice behind them:

“WHAT’S UUUUP.”

Amethyst and Pearl had returned from their swim.

Lapis sighed, as Di came back as well and they all started preparing lunch. She had been really close to telling Peridot what she felt… maybe the interruption had been a good idea. If she told the girl she loved her, she would never leave her. And Lapis knew that making Peridot stay would just be another way to wreck a person she loved. For that’s what she did, she wrecked people.

After a simple lunch of ham and cheese sandwiches and a couple of hours of lazing around in the Sun, Di got up and clapped her hands cheerfully.

“I have a surprise for you guys.” She said, excitedly. Jasper smiled fondly, admiring her bubbly side. “I’m gonna take you to a place that’s going to blow your minds.”

“The nudist beach?”

“No. Better than that. Come on, guys, bathing suits on and follow me.”

Lapis and Peridot were the only ones still dressed so they entered their tent reluctantly – a helpful Garnet had set it up for them – and they started to rummage about for their bikinis. Lapis undressed in her casual way, confident and comfortable as usual. She turned to smile at Peridot, who was red in the face.

“You still blushing?” Lapis laughed. “You know how I look by now.”

“Yes but you’re just… too beautiful.” Peridot squeaked. “Sorry, that sounded dumb.”

“Nah.” Lapis moved towards her and pulled her T-shirt over her head. Then, she gently unhooked her bra and kissed Peridot’s breasts. “You’re beautiful. I could do this the whole day and never get tired.” She nibbled on the small girl’s ear. “And they’re waiting for us, so whatever you’re feeling right now, save it for later.”

“You’re cruel.” Peridot scowled.

“The cruelest.” Lapis pulled her bikini on, looking equally gorgeous. “I love playing with my prey.” She winked at Peridot. “Or should I say… my food.”

“Lapis!” Peridot pulled on her own bathing suit, sounding as scandalized as Pearl sometimes did. “Anyway, thanks for getting me all worked up.” She mumbled, ironically.

“Oh I’m sorry, did I make you _horny_?” Lapis moved towards her again, giggling over her own playfulness. “I apologize.” She kissed her neck. “Really…” She bent down over Peridot’s chest. “… so much.” She nibbled her inner thigh and Peridot sat up bold.

“Damn it, Lapis.”

“Okay, okay.” The blue haired girl gave her a small kiss on the lips and pulled her roommate out of the tent. “Stop being gorgeous then.”

The two of them hurried towards the group, who was just about to leave.

They started walking up towards the mansion on the rocks, a thing that made Jasper really nervous… was Di going to introduce everyone to her family? She hoped not. But her fears diminished when they took a left turn before reaching the house and they started climbing up a rocky path that led to the cliffs. It was really high up and Peridot clutched Lapis nervously as Pearl did the same with Garnet. Neither were very fond of heights.

At a moment, Di stopped and led them through a range of rocks. There was ample space there, it looked like a little terrace hanging at the edge of the cliffs. If you looked down, you could clearly see the waves splashing the wall below.

“This is what I call… my own personal trampoline.” Di said smugly.

“What?” Peridot looked up.

“WHAT.” Pearl’s knees shook.

The rest of them stared in wonder. Amethyst grinned and peeked over the edge.

“AWEE-SOOMEE.”

“I’m not doing this.” Pearl said quickly.

“Awww c’mon, P.”

Di walked towards Jasper and tugged at her long hair.

“You wanna jump?”

“Hell yeah.” Jasper stretched a little, making her muscles go tense and she walked towards the edge without thinking it twice. Di smiled in wonder at the girl’s body under the Sun, her bronzed skin shining under her black bikini top and shorts. She loved the way her chest heaved up and down as she breathed; it looked pretty powerful. She laughed as Jasper jumped down and was welcomed down below with a loud splash. Di turned around towards the others and winked.

“I’ll go next.”

Di jumped in after her girlfriend, who had already reached the surface in a sea of bubbles. She sank deep in the water after jumping from that height and swam up towards the surface once she felt her own force come back. Di gasped for air and sought Jasper up, who was floating nearby. She headed towards her and gave her a swift kiss.

“I would like to mention that you look amazing in swimwear.” She told her. Jasper laughed and caressed Di’s lips hungrily with hers

“Says the supermodel.” She muttered, between kisses. “I was fine but now I want us to go back to the tent.”

“Soon…” Di grinned. “What is it about holidays that makes everyone so… _wanting to get in a tent_?”

“I have no idea, I guess it’s because everyone’s relaxed.” Jasper moved away from Di and looked up. Garnet was rocketing towards them and landed beside them with a large splash. “Yo Garnet, hey, what’s up.”

Back at the top of the cliff, Amethyst was trying to convince a terrified Pearl to jump.

“You have no idea how much fun fear really is.” Amethyst said, grabbing the tall girl’s hand. “P… The adrenaline rush is amazing.”

“I… believe you…” Pearl tried to draw away from Amethyst, who was holding on tight.

“No, c’mon P… together.” Amethyst pulled her close and walked towards the cliff.

“No no no, Amethyst, wa…” But the two of them were already soaring downwards and they splashed into the water below, landing foam and bubbles all over the others. Jasper laughed.

“Wow, Pearl.” She said, as they re-surfaced. “I didn’t think you had the balls.”

The tall girl, still trembling in shock, turned towards Amethyst with a scowl.

“I hate you.”

“Oh come on, you loved it.” Amethyst swam towards her. “Wasn’t this a rush?”

“Some things are a rush, I have to admit… like a rollercoaster.” Pearl growled. “But jumping off a cliff is certainly not my idea of fun. Next time, do it alone.”

Amethyst looked so subdued and sad, like a puppy being punished, that the tall girl couldn’t help but feeling that her words had been a little too harsh. She pulled Amethyst’s hair slightly and spoke to her in a gentler voice.

“Look, just don’t pull me off cliffs with you, I’m really scared of those things.”

Meanwhile, Lapis was stretching before the big jump as Peridot stood next to her, arms crossed. The small girl looked pretty determined not to jump.

“I’m not doing it.” She said, stubbornly. “I’m an _invalid_.”

“Oh please.” Lapis scoffed. “Your leg doesn’t seem to be any trouble when you’re riding on top of me.”

Peridot turned a little red.

“That’s… not the same as jumping off a cliff into the sea below.” She muttered, annoyed at her own embarrassment. Lapis narrowed her eyes and smiled, stretching her back on a seductive way.

“I guess.” She crooned, pushing her hair backwards. “Still, I think you should jump. It’ll be good for you.” And with that, she flew off the cliff with an elegant summersault, pelting into the water below. Peridot couldn’t help but admire her and smiled as she turned back towards the path they had come from, heading down to the beach. It wasn’t close to the cliffs, but she didn’t fancy swimming that far out anyway, so she decided to wait for them at the shore. When she came to Di’s beach, she took off her shoes and probed the water with her good leg. It wasn’t very warm yet but it felt pleasant all the same. She hoped the others would return quickly.

They did, after a quarter of an hour – the time it took for them to swim back to the beach – and the small girl greeted them enthusiastically.

“Little B!!!” Jasper exclaimed, laughing, and she ruffled Peridot’s hair. “What’s up, were you afraid to lose your leg?”

“Yes, actually.” Peridot slapped Jasper’s hand away. “Little B yourself.”

Di moved towards them, worried, but Garnet stopped her.  
“Don’t mind them, they’re always like that.” She grinned. “Peridot’s actually one of her closest friends. Treating each other like that just shows how deeply they care about one another.”

“Oh, I see…” Di mumbled, amazed.

“Yeah.” Lapis added, squeezing the water out of her hair so that it dripped onto the sand below. “I think Peridot appreciates her because she’s always honest with her. Instead of sugar coating things, she just tells her how it is. And she jokes about her leg, which normalizes it for her.”

“You too, though.” Pearl smiled.

“Sorry?”

“You do that too…” The tall girl shook the water out of her hair. “And Peridot cares about you deeply as well.”

Lapis flushed and looked away.

“Whatever.”

She had accepted to go camping and she felt much more comfortable with the group thanks to Peridot, but she wasn’t sure if she was ready for that kind of social interaction yet. Pearl seemed to notice and she drew towards her when the others started walking up towards camp.

“Hey.” She muttered. “Sorry… I’d get mad too if people would meddle with my personal life.”

Lapis sighed.

“It’s okay, I guess we’re all… _friends._ ”

“I know that feeling.” Pearl pushed her bangs out of her face. “I didn’t really get along with people either before Rose introduced me to the gang. But now, I’m really glad I have them. Rose wasn’t eternal, but they are.”

“No one is eternal.” Lapis said, darkly. “Everyone leaves at some point.”

Pearl sighed.

“You have a _point_ , we all go our own way in life… it’s just a part of growing up and becoming who we are… but friendship is a strong thing, you know. Not all friends stay together, but some do. And those are really worth it.”

Lapis looked at Pearl’s honest face and sighed.

“I guess I just don’t really know about friendship.” She muttered. “I used to go out with a gang of girls who rode motorbikes at night and drank until morning. That’s how I met Jasper, she was dating one of them…” She noticed Pearl’s sly look. “Yeah, I know… she can be really trashy…” They sniggered.

“And… what happened?” Pearl felt really curious.

“The night we met… that girl dumped her bad.” Lapis sighed. “Or better said, I caught her cheating and I casually told Jasper because… Jasper was hot. She deserved better.”

“Oh, Lapis.” Pearl smiled. “That’s so… _strategical_.”

“I know.” Lapis grinned. “But I really did feel sorry for her. Of course, after that, the girl gang kicked me out but… Jasper started inviting me places.” She smiled, as if pausing to cherish the memories. “She took me on… dates… I didn’t even know… and in the end, well… we just ended up together.”

“Did you know you were in the same class?” Pearl asked.

“Yeah…” Lapis sighed. “That was the weirdest part. But we still made it work… for a short while.” She looked up, suddenly. “Why am I telling you all this?”

“I guess you needed to talk?” Pearl suggested. “Sometimes it’s easier to tell things to people who you don’t really know.”

“I guess…” Lapis sighed. “I can’t really tell Peridot about how I think of Jasper sometimes… I mean, I’m over her, but I can’t deny what happened, she was… a part of me… learning to be someone without her is… hard.”

“I… know exactly how you feel.” Pearl took her arm. “But trust me, it gets better every single day… And you are Lapis Lazuli… never forget that; you’re a strong individual who can make up her own mind.”

Lapis stared at the girl for a while, rather amazed. She had never really spoken to Pearl before and she found it pretty refreshing. They weren’t that different, to be honest.

“Wow…” She said, softly. “I guess you’re right. I don’t really think like that, usually.”

“It’s hard… if you’ve grown dependent…” Pearl sighed. “Trust me, I know… but even if they still have a grip on you, it’s something that grows weak. And you have Peridot now, right?”

“Right.” Lapis didn’t seem very convinced.

“Oh Lapis, you are serious about her, aren’t you?” Pearl shifted uncomfortably. The others were already out of sight. “I’d hate to see her get hurt, she’s quite sensitive…”

“I do like her.” Lapis looked away. “But I’m not good for her. I’m… horrible. Look at Jasper, she was such a lively person… all I did was bring her down when we were together and when she finally broke lose… all I did was haunt her.” She looked at the other girl, frowning. “I’m not cut out to be loved, Pearl. I regret everything I have ever done to Jasper.”

“Jasper’s fine now.” Pearl said. “She was a little unexperienced when she was dating you, she didn’t know how to handle you… and you weren’t easy on her. You’re like me, Lapis… possessive and jealous…” She hung her head. “But I think we’ve both learned our lesson there.”

“I don’t know.” Lapis muttered. “I’m fine with Di, but I still feel there’s something missing… Like closure…”

“Closure you do with your own mind.” Pearl stretched her arms in front of her. “It’s not like something has to happen… you just have to do it yourself.”

“I guess.” They were nearing the camp now. “Thanks, though. It felt good to talk.”

“No problem… any time.”

The two girls parted ways and Pearl crept into her tent, where Amethyst was changing. She saw the girl blush and looked away with a smile. She liked teasing her like that but she also knew that it wasn’t very kind of her. Pearl stroked Amethyst’s fair hair and bent towards her.

“Hey, Ame.”

“Hey.” Came her choked down voice. She was shaking and Pearl smiled. The tall girl lay down on her sleeping bag, resting her head on her arms. Somehow, it was clear to her that Amethyst felt something and she was ready to explore that further. She really did like her small roommate.

“So, do you do massages?” Pearl winked at her. Amethyst raised an eyebrow.

“Do you want me to massage you?”

“Sure.” Pearl smiled sweetly. “C’mon, I’ll do you afterwards.”

Amethyst hesitated but then moved towards Pearl and lay her hands on her back, rather bare as she was only wearing her bikini. The tall girl sighed with pleasure as Amethyst started massaging her and buried her face in her hands.

“Oh Amethyst…” She groaned, knowing that would make the girl blush even worse. She wasn’t wrong. Amethyst looked away, cheeks burning.

“Shit, Pearl, stop making it sound so… _erotic_.” She muttered and Pearl sniggered. The tall girl turned around, this time laying on her back and stared right at her.

“Oh dear, what are you talking about? I would never…” She said, trying very hard not to laugh. Pearl was, in fact, quite the flirt when it came to that point but she had been obsessed with Rose for so long that no one really recognized that trait in her. Amethyst sure didn’t and blushed feverently.

“What are you doing?” Amethyst asked, voice trembling. “I’m not going to massage your boobs or something…”

“Not asking you to.” Pearl said curtly.

“Then why…”

But at that moment Jasper yanked at the tent opening and stuck her head inside, making them jump.

“We’re going to the little village nearby. There’s a fair there. You coming?”

After a few minutes, the whole group was walking alongside the sea towards the small village, that lay just beyond the nudist beach. There was of course the rocky mountain pass above, but no one seemed to want to climb up there again so they just followed the shore, foamy waves splashing over their feet. Di was at the front with Jasper, and the two of them held an excited conversation about surfing. Pearl and Amethyst followed right behind them with Garnet at their side, who didn’t seem to notice the awkward silence between the two roommates. Lapis and Peridot were at the tail, walking a bit further away from the rest. The blue haired girl seemed pensive and Peridot wondered if something was bothering her. She drew close and took her hand in hers. Lapis turned towards her, as if surprised by the small gesture and smiled a little. She pulled her hand away from Peridot but threw an arm around the small girl instead.

“Little Peri.” She muttered. “Always there for me.”

“Well, that’s what…” Peridot stopped talking. She had almost said ‘that’s what girlfriends are for’ but Lapis wasn’t really her girlfriend… was she?

“That’s what… what?” Lapis squeezed her tight. “That’s what little nerds do for hotties like me?”

“Something like that…”

Lapis laughed and stopped in her tracks, turning towards Peridot and giving her a long passionate kiss.

“You are priceless, you are special.” She told the small girl. “Thank you for always being there for me… it’s not something I deserve but you’ve made me feel better.”

“I’m glad I did.” Peridot squeezed her hand. “You’re pretty amazing.”

Suddenly Amethyst gave a shout.

“Look! Naked dudes!”

Everyone turned to where she was pointing and then looked away quickly; they had walked into the nudist beach and now it wasn’t safe to look anywhere. Pearl literally covered her eyes with her hands and would have stumbled over a rock if Garnet hadn’t held her on time.

“Ok, no need to be so exaggerated.” Jasper scoffed. “It’s not like you’ve never seen naked people before. This is where they chill, respect that.”

“It’s not a matter of respect.” Pearl blushed. “I just… I…”

Amethyst laughed and took her arm.

“C’mon, P. I’ll guide you through this arc of temptation. Follow me.”

After a quarter mile, they finally left the nudist beach and headed for the boardwalk that lead to the village. It was already getting dark and the lights were on in town. The fair also emitted bright colors and the gang smiled.

“So, what do you guys want to do?” Di asked.

“Candy.” Garnet said, quite determined.

“Walk through the stands.” Pearl piped up.

“Win something.” Peridot and Lapis said at the same time.

“Ok well… why don’t we split up and meet back here in half an hour to… I don’t know, have some supper?” Jasper suggested. “Di and I want to look at the surf stands.”

“Sure.” Pearl turned towards her roommate. “You wanna come, Amethyst?”

“Yeah, okay.”

The two of them headed towards the stands and Amethyst waited by patiently as Pearl tried on a few bracelets with a sly look. She wasn’t much of a shopper but somehow she liked showing off in front of the other girl. She raised her wrist, with the colorful bracelets dangling from it, and grinned.

“How does it look?”

“It looks great, Pearl.” Amethyst sighed, although she couldn’t help but smile at the tall girl’s efforts to stray out of character. Why she had chosen to do that today of all days, remained a mystery

“Let’s get some ice-cream.” Pearl suggested, walking towards one of the food stands. The shorter girl followed her, and the two of them chose their flavors. Pearl asked for strawberry and Amethyst took chocolate and vanilla; they came in little cartons. The two girls headed towards the beach and stood in front of the waves, tinted black in the dark. For a while, none of the two spoke.

Amethyst stared into Pearl’s eyes as she slowly licked what was left of her ice-cream from the small plastic spoon that came with the carton. Her sharp tongue cleaned it seductively and Amethyst found herself wondering how it would feel employed otherwise. Pearl narrowed her eyes, gulped down the last of her ice-cream and threw the small carton in a dustbin nearby, never taking her eyes off Amethyst.

“So…” She muttered.

“So…” Amethyst fidgeted with her hands. “You wanna… like… walk next to the waves or something?”

“I _would_ like that.” Pearl slipped an arm around Amethyst’s shoulders. “Come, let’s go.”

After walking for a while, they arrived to the pier and they climbed on top of it. Pearl grabbed Amethyst’s hand and pulled her down with her, so that they could sit on the edge made out of rocks. They stared at the stars for a while and Pearl sighed.

“Aren’t they magnificent?” She asked.

“Yeah…” Amethyst turned towards her. “So are you, though.”

Pearl gasped and looked at the girl in front of her.

“What?”

“I think you’re wonderful.” Amethyst knew she had no control over her words. Her promise to Peridot was being fulfilled at that very moment. She was confessing to Pearl… She was… Amethyst looked up, horrified and saw a blushing Pearl next to her.

“I…” She was at loss for words now. “Nevermind!” With an elegant jump, she threw herself into the waves below, leaving Pearl staring after her. Amethyst re-surfaced and threw herself backwards in order to float on her back, the moon reflecting on her face. Without warning, Pearl jumped in after her and for a moment both girls were engulfed in foam and bubbles. Amethyst turned towards her and noticed their faces were inches from each other.

“It sure is cold…” Pearl whispered.

Amethyst shook her head, knowing she had to do it. She had to, or she’d explode.

“No.” She said. “Nothing’s cold when you’re around.”

And she leaned forward to kiss Pearl who – surprisingly enough – did not move away. Amethyst drew her body against hers, locking her lips passionately and for a moment the two of them forgot where they were and what they were supposed to do. Amethyst untied Pearl’s bikini lace at her neck and bent down, slightly underwater, to kiss her small breasts. Pearl sighed and placed a hand gently on Amethyst’s neck, urging her to go on. It wasn’t until they heard a loud siren from a far away ship which made them jump that the girls remembered where they were. Pearl went red and quickly pulled her bikini top back on underwater. Amethyst moved a few inches away from her, still shaking.

“Um…” She muttered. Pearl stared at her.

“Yeah…”

“I’m… sorry…” Amethyst looked away. Pearl drew closer.

“How long have you felt this way?” She asked, softly.

“I… don’t really know…” Amethyst muttered, staring into her eyes. “It just… one day… I don’t know.” She sighed. “It’s really confusing.”

“It is.” Pearl caressed her cheek gently. “But… it’s nice… you and me… I won’t deny I haven’t thought about it…”

Amethyst smiled a little.

“You did?”

“Yeah…” Pearl flushed. “I mean, I know I’m always at your throat, telling you what to do or shouting at you because you’ve done something wrong… but all that is just because I care… and I really like you.”

Amethyst burst into laughter.

“Oh Pearl.” She said. “I did not expect that…”

“Well…” Pearl smiled. “Neither did I, but I do believe we were both quite flirty today.”

“You sure were.” Amethyst looked away.

“Alright.” The tall girl moved closer and they kissed once more. Amethyst sighed deeply as she felt Pearl’s hands slide across her waist. “Come, let’s get out of here.”

 

                                   *                     *                       *

Lapis slid her hand softly over Peridot’s back as her body heaved up and down in a peaceful slumber. They had arrived back at camp about an hour ago and they had engaged in passionate love making that involved getting a lot of sand in the tent. But Peridot had worked pretty hard and she had fallen asleep almost immediately after making Lapis gasp. Thee blue haired girl didn’t mind… She loved watching Peridot sleep.

She had heard Garnet come back with Jasper and Di, and afterwards, Pearl and Amethyst. They had tried to have supper together but everyone had been too involved with their own stuff… something they probably all needed. Lapis was just glad to be with Peridot.

Slowly her eyes started to close and she felt a soft breeze on her face. She looked up and suddenly it was daytime and she was on the beach, Di’s beach. The water was beautifully blue and the Sun shone high in the sky.

“Oh look at that… I’m dreaming.” Lapis muttered, and turned around, wondering what her subconscious had in store for her.

The first person she saw was Jasper, heading towards her with a big smile. She embraced her with her strong arms and Lapis couldn’t help but feeling happy. Shortly afterwards, though, Peridot came in view and she was crying… crying at the sight of them. The burning feeling in her stomach that came afterwards couldn’t be described as anything else than guilt and remorse. Lapis felt horrible… by accepting that hug from Jasper, she had made little Peri cry…

The blue haired girl woke up with a start and found that she had been hugging Peridot in her dreams. She pushed her bangs out of her sweaty face and then stared at the small girl. Somehow, it had all become clear to her.

“I’m sorry, Peridot, but there’s one more thing I need to do.” She whispered. “Before any of this, I need closure.”

And without another word, she left the tent and headed towards the one person she knew she needed to talk to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Spring Break Part Two
> 
> Lapis needs closure but Peridot misunderstands. Pearl and Amethyst continue their newly-found romance. Di decides to take Jasper up to her house.
> 
> Also, get ready for some "gay angst".


	11. Spring Break: Part Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pearl and Amethyst get to know each other in a more intimate way. Jasper meets Di's dad. Lapis and Peridot get into a fight, leaving the later to make a drastic decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance for all the sin, really.
> 
> The story is coming to an end, as you can see. There's one more chapter to come plus an epilogue. Also, I'm currently working on a prequel one-shot about the time that Jasper met Lapis. I will probably post it on this site eventually.
> 
> I never imagined this story would take so long to write and that I'd have so many people interested. For that, I thank you. You are truly a motivation. I love reading the comments. You're awesome.
> 
> I hope you like this chapter.

** Chapter Ten **

** Spring Break: Part Two **

 

“That tickles.”

Amethyst drew her lips away from Pearl’s ivory skin in order to stare at the girl with an amused look.

“It does?” She moved back towards Pearl’s waist and teased her with the tip of her tongue. The tall girl shivered a little and Amethyst grinned: she liked seeing Pearl trying to stay in control yet failing miserably. It was hot.

Amethyst wasn’t experienced in this; to be honest, Pearl was her first… but the shorter girl didn’t feel nervous at all; in fact, she felt quite confident and was ready to tease Pearl into infinity. With a grin she nibbled on the girl’s side and the shivering got worse.

“Amethyst…” She was trying to keep her voice steady, the shorter girl noticed.

“What is it?”

“I… you…” Amethyst moved towards her small breasts and cupped her mouth around one of them. Pearl couldn’t hold it any longer. “Oh Amethyst…”

“It’s pretty awesome when you say my name like that.” Amethyst moved her head down between Pearl’s legs and stroked the surface softly with her fingers. Pearl’s knees started shaking and she stretched her legs to keep them steady. Amethyst lay down on her stomach and started bringing her off with her mouth. Pearl threw her arms behind her and a soft moan escaped her lips. As Amethyst’s movements grew stronger, she grew weaker and towards the end, she was gripping her sleeping bag so tightly that she was afraid it would tear. Amethyst was too much for her and Pearl let out a small cry, dropping flat on the sleeping back and finally relaxing her muscles as waves of release moved through her body.

“God!” She exclaimed. “Ame…”

Amethyst smiled and move upwards to kiss her on the lips. She stared at her with a sly look and raised an eyebrow.

“So, did ya like it?”

“Don’t be a sass.”

“But you did, didn’t you?”

Pearl looked up at Amethyst’s honest face and saw a tint of insecurity gleaming in her dark eyes. She smiled fondly and dropped the tough act herself, bringing a hand to her face and stroking her cheek gently as the shorter girl was bending over her.

“It was great.” She whispered, her eyes shining. Amethyst let an out-of-character giggle escape and Pearl’s smile grew wider. She sat up straight and kissed the shorter girl passionately, throwing her arms around her neck.

“Pearl…” Amethyst whispered as the tall girl stroked her hair gently. “How come you…? I mean… I thought… Aren’t you… Rose…”

Pearl drew away from her slowly and stared at her, but there was no discomfort in her eyes. She kissed Amethyst gently on the cheek and said:

“I was over Rose before I knew it myself. A great part of my sadness was just the loss of not having someone to think about anymore… But slowly and unwarned, those feelings started to fade away and I guess I felt happier… It must have been around the time we went to the restaurant and played _Truth or Dare_ and _Never Have I Ever_ …” Pearl smiled. “I guess at that moment I realized that my roommate was pretty awesome.”

“Really? Already then?” Amethyst asked, surprised.

“Yes.” Pearl pushed her backwards on the sleeping back. “Now if you’ll excuse me, we have some unfinished business.”

 

*                *                *

Lapis walked slowly across the beach towards the cluster of rocks that formed by the sea. She could see Jasper and Di’s silhouettes there, dark in contrast with the moonlight that lit the ocean. She walked towards them steadily until she was a few steps away from them, not wanting to barge in as they were speaking softly.

“… I don’t think my dad would mind…” Di was saying. “I don’t think he’d expect you to be the one I’d be bringing home but still… He’s always just wanted my happiness.”

“Yeah but… Can I really guarantee you happiness? In his eyes, I mean…” Jasper was looking at the ocean. “I’m pretty messed up.”

At that moment Di caught sight of Lapis.

“Hey…”

“Hey…” Lapis moved forwards and Jasper sat up straight.

“Lapis.”

“Could I… have a word with you?” Lapis asked the big girl, who was staring at her.

“I’ll go back to the tent.” Di got up and hurried away, leaving a cloud of sand behind her. Jasper sighed and beckoned Lapis over, who sat down beside her. For a while, they stayed in silence but then the blue haired girl spoke softly.

“Di… she’s wonderful…”

Jasper stared at her, surprised.

“Yeah, yeah she is.”

“I would have flipped, in her situation.” Lapis grinned. “But she’s not jealous, she’s so supportive… you hit the jackpot there.”

“Psche.” Jasper laughed. “I know I did.”

They smiled at the ocean in front of them, the waves crashing gently around them like silver droplets.

“I wanted to talk.” Lapis sighed. “And you’re not gonna like what I have to say.” Jasper remained quiet, waiting for her to continue. “I realized that I can’t just move on… wait!” She exclaimed as Jasper widened her eyes. “What I mean is… We knew that already, it was a really hard process for me and it still is in some ways because even if I don’t have romantic feelings for you anymore, I still have this nagging pain inside of how much everything hurt, and…” She paused, reaching for air. “… I want to talk about what happened.”

“Okay.” Jasper said solemnly. “Let’s talk.”

“For starters… was I just a rebound love for you? You met me the same night Vidalia broke up with you…” Lapis looked down at her hands, which were resting on her lap.

“No.” Jasper said, firmly. “At that moment I was loyal to Vidalia but I was attracted to you from the start. I’d had my eye on you in class already and even though I would never cheat, I thought you were pretty great.”

Lapis smiled a little.

“And when we started dating, did anyone else catch your eye? Like I did when you were with Vidalia?”

“Our relationship was very different from what I had with Vidalia…” Jasper sighed. “That other thing was just an extended one-night stand which made me suffer far too much for what it really was. But you were different… you made me feel complete somehow, you made me better. Next to you I felt strong and powerful, like I could do anything… I was _in love_.”

Lapis went a little pale and then clasped Jasper’s hand between hers.

“I thought it would last forever… it seemed perfect… I had suffered a little and you hadn’t been with anyone…” Jasper’s hands shook. “I thought I could have a happy relationship with you and protect you from ever feeling pain. But there, I failed miserably…”

“No, Jasper! That was all my fault!” Lapis exclaimed.

“No, it wasn’t… you were never easy to deal with, but whatever was stable inside you broke when we started going out.” Jasper muttered. “You were having a bad time, the medication wasn’t working and I couldn’t deal with it… I thought I was doing something wrong…”

“But you weren’t!” Lapis cried. “It was all me… Depression had gotten a hold of me again and it had nothing to do with you… It never comes for a reason, it just happens! And the medication was fucked up then, so it was out of control! But it wasn’t because of you!”

“AND I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN THAT!” Jasper shouted. “I should have been there for you, instead of escaping from my problems…” She added, more quietly.

“How could you have known? I was being irrational.” Lapis drew closer and rested her head on the big girl’s shoulder. “It was logical for you to spend less time at home and more time with your friends… or at the gym…”

“I was horrible.” Jasper held Lapis close. “I thought you grew worse the more time we spent together, so I started avoiding you…”

“I felt worse every time you did that.” Lapis confessed. “It hurt so much… But you didn’t know, Jasper.”

“I realized that I had never loved anyone that much.” Jasper whispered. “But that I couldn’t stay with you because our relationship had become toxic… we were just hurting each other… I escaped to give you space and you got mad…. And when I stayed, I thought you were hurting in my presence… So I decided to break it up.”

“All could have gone differently.” Lapis sighed.

“It could have.” Jasper admitted.

“Did it hurt?” Lapis asked, then.

“What?”

“Dumping me… Did it hurt?”

Jasper stared into her eyes and Lapis was surprised to see that the big girl was crying.

“More than you’ll ever know.” She whispered and then buried her face in her knees and started shaking uncontrollably, making Lapis’ heart skip a beat and reach out to comfort her. She had never seen her like that.

“Jasper… calm down…”

“I can’t…” Sobbed. “You have no idea how much it hurt, how long it took me to get over you… why, Lapis… When you started living with Peridot, I still wasn’t over you.”

The blue haired girl looked up sharply and stared at her.

“Jasper, what the hell.”

“It wasn’t easy for me either… I also cried every night.” Jasper muttered. “I just wanted you to know that… I did love you and I did not just throw you away. I honestly believe we’re in healthier relationships now.”

Lapis couldn’t believe what she was hearing but she felt her heart race with sudden happiness. She realized that it hadn’t been so much about the breakup… the real reason for her sadness had always been the powerful feeling that Jasper didn’t care.

But she did.

Lapis hugged the big girl tightly.

“We are… we are in better places now!” She exclaimed, clinging to her. “Oh Jasper, I’m so glad you found happiness with Di… I really am… you deserve each other… she’s lovely and she’ll always support you… and you are just great, the best girlfriend anyone could want.” She sighed, thinking of Peridot. She knew she was ready to tell her what she felt. “Good talk Jasper, I love you.”

“I love you too.” Jasper smiled.

Lapis hopped off the rock elegantly.

“I have to go and tell my tent mate something important.” She laughed.

“I want to know how that went…”

“And you… Don’t ever call yourself messed up again.” Lapis winked. “Di knows you’re not.”

Jasper smiled as Lapis walked away… All was well…

 

*                *                *

Peridot tossed and turned around in her sleeping bag until she woke up shivering. It was a bit chilly and she had thrown off all her extra blankets. She reached over to Lapis, wondering if the girl would want to hold her for a while as it was so cold, but her hand just clasped an empty sleeping bag. Peridot, now fully awake, sat up bold and frowned. Where was Lapis?

The small girl crept out of her tent and headed towards the sea, wondering if Lapis had decided to take a stroll. It wasn’t long before she saw her slim figure on the rocks, sitting next to…

Jasper.

Peridot felt her heart sink. What was going on? She wasn’t the jealous type, but that midnight escapade with Jasper hurt her more than she could have known. The small girl hurried towards the rocks, knowing it was wrong to eavesdrop, but she just wanted to hear something reassuring… something that showed she was the only one that Lapis was thinking about. Something that would make her smile and feel bad for following her… Something…

At that moment the blue haired girl spoke.

“…and you are just great, the best girlfriend anyone could want… Good talk Jasper, I love you.”

Peridot went white.

“I love you too.” Came Jasper’s answer. They were hugging.

The small girl turned around and ran away back towards the tent. Her heart was racing, tears were building up in her eyes and she felt a lump in her throat grow bigger and bigger. Peridot almost jumped inside the tent, hid under her sleeping bag and started crying softly, angry at herself for having been that gullible. Deep down, she had known… she had always known… Jasper would not be that easily forgotten.

She heard Lapis come in shortly afterwards and pretended to be fast asleep. She could feel the girl’s hot breath in her neck and suddenly her thin arms were around her, caressing her body. Peridot shut her eyes tight, remaining unresponsive.

“C’mon, wake up.” Lapis muttered. “I have something to say.”

 _I bet you do_. Peridot thought. Lapis kissed her neck and she shivered.

“Peri…” Lapis dug her teeth into her shoulder. “Wake up already.”

Peridot still didn’t move and clenched her fists tightly. Lapis must have seen that movement for she softened the grip and asked:

“Everything okay?”

The small girl sighed and turned around.

“Why are you here?” She whispered. Lapis looked surprised, something didn’t feel quite right…

“What do you mean? We’re sharing a tent…” She muttered.

“Why are you sharing a tent with _me_?” Peridot sat up straight, freeing herself from her grasp. Lapis frowned, wondering if the small girl had gone crazy.

“What do you mean?” She repeated.

“You clearly don’t want to be with me…” Peridot looked away. Lapis had never seen her that mad before, the small girl was pretty good natured.

“I still don’t know what you’re getting at…” She mumbled.

“What the hell, Lapis!” Peridot got up with a shout and went out of the tent, followed closely by her stupefied roommate. “You don’t even know what I’m talking about!”

“No!” Lapis cried, hurt and confused. “I don’t! So please tell me what’s wrong.”

A curious crowd composed by Garnet, Pearl and Amethyst, had started forming around them. The gang hadn’t really wanted to eavesdrop but at the rate they were shouting, it seemed almost impossible.

“You have been screwing me over, physically and emotionally!” Peridot exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes. “I never wanted to believe that you still loved Jasper… I thought you were over her!”

“What do you mean?” Lapis cried. “I _am_ over her!”

“You liar!” The small girl sank onto her knees, tears streaming down her face. “All this while I thought we were getting somewhere, I thought you were slowly healing!”

“I _was_! I…”

“I thought you had learned to love me!” Peridot continued, sobbing loudly. “But you never did, did you? You were always thinking of her! You were obsessed with her! You’re still obsessed with her!”

“That’s not true!” Lapis said, in a panicky voice. She felt so upset with the situation that she could hardly breathe. Was this how Jasper had felt every time she had wrongly accused her? “Not anymore…”

At that moment, Jasper and Di, who had moved up from the rocks attracted by all the noise, came forward, entering into the little scene.

“Peridot…” The big girl walked towards her and picked her up from the ground. “This is not you… you would never react this way… what happened?”  
“I heard Lapis say she loved you and you said it back…” Peridot sobbed into her chest.

“Oh Peri… There are different kinds of love…” Jasper hugged her tightly. Lapis felt relieved she was being gentle, it seemed to calm Peridot down. “I love you too, that doesn’t mean I want to sleep with you or something.”

“Ew.” Peridot muttered under her breath. Jasper chuckled.

“Ew yourself.” She let go of the small girl. “You eavesdropped on the last part of the conversation, Peridot.”

“I’m sorry…” Peridot stared at Lapis. “But I just…”

“Yeah, you acted like I would… you assumed things without knowing the entire truth…” The blue haired girl walked towards Peridot, feeling hurt and angry. Somehow she would have never expected Peridot not to trust her. “I thought you were different.”

She hadn’t really meant to say that, but it had come out. Before she started regretting it, the small girl glared at her

“Oh…” Peridot said, flaring up again. “You thought I was _different_? I’ve spent half a year tiptoeing around you, granting your every wish, hoping you’d feel better, hoping you’d like me… And I thought I was going to explode! If it hadn’t been for that trip with Amethyst, I’d have never…”

Lapis looked up sharply.

“What trip with Amethyst?”

Everyone stared uncomfortably at the little scene. Peridot went a little pale and Amethyst muttered an “ _oh shit_.”

“I… well…” Peridot swallowed. “That time ago… my grandma wasn’t really sick… I spent a few days at Garnet’s to be away from you and hung around with the gang… I needed it…” The small girl looked down. “Sorry for lying… But every time you and I… were together… I just felt sad, I can’t explain, I…”

Lapis took a step away from her, a dark look on her face. Jasper closed her eyes, knowing Peridot had made a mistake. She understood what the small girl had said perfectly, she knew Peridot felt bad after sex because she wasn’t sure about Lapis’ feelings… But Jasper also knew that the blue haired girl wouldn’t interpret her words in the same way… She knew Lapis would be offended…

“So, you didn’t want to be with me anymore…” Lapis muttered, her hair blowing around her in the soft wind. A cloud had moved in front of the moon and she looked a bit eerie. Peridot took a step towards her, knowing she had expressed herself in a way that had made her roommate misunderstand.

“That’s not…”

“That’s exactly what it is.” Lapis trembled. “So what, you were bothered by a little casual sex? Are you going to tell me that you never enjoyed that?”

“Lapis! That’s not what I meant!”

“Well I sure did!” Lapis exclaimed. “I enjoyed myself every time we had sex, that’s why I did it. Because you were _there_! Because you were _available_! I warned you not to get attached, it’s not my fault if you did. You could have walked away! You knew it wasn’t meaningful in any way! You _knew_!”

Everyone started in dead silence after that spiteful speech. Jasper took a step backwards, recognizing the girl she had broken up with. Pearl drew an arm around Amethyst and Garnet hugged both of them from behind. Peridot stood motionless, her facial expression turned to a mindless stare. Her eyes were suddenly glassy and Jasper was afraid she would crack right there. But she didn’t.

Lapis felt as if she had just woken up from a bad dream and was impressed by the small girl’s face. What had she done? How had that come out of her mouth? It wasn’t even true… But that wasn’t Peridot’s interpretation. The small girl seemed to snap out of a dream as well and looked up at Lapis, as if she were trying to memorize her face. For a moment the two of them stared at each other, as if trying to recognize what they had meant to each other just a few hours ago… Then, Peridot spoke.  
“Okay.” That was all she said, before turning around towards the tent and getting in. They saw her turn her flashlight on and move around.

Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl turned towards their own tents, shifting uncomfortably away from the crowd. Di walked away as well, but Jasper stayed.

“Lapis…” She said softly.

“I know…” Lapis was shaking violently. The big girl held her steady with her strong arms. “Jasper, what have I done? I didn’t mean what I said…”

“I know… You… flew into one of your rampages.” Jasper said, quietly. “You didn’t like hearing that Peridot had to take a break from you and you just spat out poison.”

“I’m… horrible… I don’t deserve her…” Lapis mumbled.

“Peridot _is_ the person you deserve.” Jasper said, sternly. “She has changed you in ways that I couldn’t even dream of… she has made you happy!”  
“But I’ve made her sad!”  
“She’s probably the only person who can handle you.” Jasper sighed. “Just look at all she’s done for you… Lapis… you gotta fight for her… You can’t let her go, you guys need each other.”

“I… need to tell her…” Lapis looked towards the tent, but Peridot had left. She was walking steadily up the path with her rucksack, heading towards the rocky mountains above. “What is she doing?”

“What the?” Jasper squinted, it was too dark. “Yo, PERI!”

But she didn’t answer.

“Jasper, what can I do?” Lapis said in a shaky voice. “I didn’t mean to… I mean… I started sleeping with her to feel better but it was never meaningless… I grew to love her; I adore her… I want her…” She gripped Jasper’s arm tightly. “She’s sweet and thoughtful and she’ll do anything for me, and I want to do everything for her… I want to protect her, I want to tell the world that she’s my…”

“Your what?” Jasper coaxed her.

“… my girlfriend…” Lapis whispered. “I want her to be my girlfriend.”

“Well, that’s not what you just conveyed.” Jasper sighed.

“No…” Lapis looked up the path again. “Where is she? I can’t see her anymore…”

The big girl’s eyes widened with sudden realization.

“Oh no.” She said. “She’s going to the train…”

Jasper started running towards her but the small girl was too far ahead. Jasper stopped in mid-tracks and turned towards Lapis. “Come! We have to make it to the train station before she leaves! The last train arrives around now!”

Lapis ran like she had never done before, taking big leaps across the sand. When she finally arrived on the path, she joined Jasper and they both ran down towards the station.

“Are we gonna make it?” Lapis cried, as they went downhill.

“I don’t know! She must have hurried to catch the last train!” Jasper huffed and puffed as she descended the rocky path with large steps.

They got to the station and jumped over the ticket gates, ignoring an angry splutter from the night guard. But when they came onto the platform, the last train was already leaving.

“NOOO!” Lapis shouted, running alongside the moving carriages. “NO, PERIDOT! I LOVE YOU! PERIDOT!”

Jasper stared at the sad scene in front of her, feeling helpless. She checked her phone, but Peridot had switched hers off, so there was no reaching her. The big girl walked slowly towards Lapis, who had sunk onto her knees, watching the train move away.

“I love you, Peridot…” She whispered.

Tears were streaming down her cheeks.

 

*                *                  *

The Sun hadn’t risen completely in the sky when the small crowd helped Lapis break down her tent. The blue haired girl hadn’t spoken a word all morning but Jasper knew she wanted to get on the first train to follow Peridot home. The big girl wondered if she would be in the apartment at all, but Lapis seemed to be determined.

“Will you be okay?” She asked. “We can all go…”

“No.” Lapis muttered. “I don’t want to ruin your holiday. I’m going on ahead, you guys stay…” She looked at Di. “You still have to take Jasper to your dad.”

“Never mind that now…” Di crouched down beside Lapis and helped her pack her rucksack as she was doing a poor job pushing everything in on a mindless way. “You have to talk to Peridot.”

“Yeah.” Pearl joined them. “Don’t worry, Lapis, it’s Peridot… she’ll forgive you… she loves you. After all this has blown over, you and me and Di will go for some drinks, what do you say?”

A shadow of a smile fell on Lapis’ lips.

“Yeah… that’d be nice.”

They didn’t hate her. Lapis looked around and studied everyone’s concerned faces, wondering if that was what friendship was all about… maybe having friends actually meant support, even if you did something awful… A warm feeling of gratitude crept into her heart and she felt oddly comforted. All this time she had believed being alone was better, but knowing someone had her back… that felt pretty great.

Jasper and Di walked her to the train station and she bought a ticket towards the city. After a few minutes, the big sturdy carriages stopped in front of her and she waved at her friends, who had stayed behind the ticket barriers. Lapis got on and chose a corner seat, away from people in general. She sighed and closed her eyes, wondering – hoping that Peridot would be home.

Di grabbed Jasper’s arm and led her slowly away from the station.

“Are you going to be okay?” She asked.

“I am. But I’m worried about them.” Jasper confessed, throwing her arms around the wiery girl. She kissed the top of her head. “Whatever happens, I can never seem to stop worrying about her.”

“It’s normal.” Di nuzzled in her chest, smirking at the strong bosom pressed against her cheek. “You will always feel responsible for Lapis… she wasn’t only your girlfriend, she also became a friend… And Peridot… she’s like a little sister, of course it’s normal to worry.”

“Di…” Jasper drew her away from her chest in order to kiss her. As their lips entwined, Di felt her knees go weak and wondered what it was that made Jasper so magnetic in every sense. She threw her arms around her strong neck, massaging the hair pressed against it and the big girl let out a soft moan, which made them break apart, half amused, half embarrassed. Jasper was usually very respectful and had approached Di very slowly – although the wiery girl had insisted that she was up for more. They had of course slept together but the big girl had contained herself greatly, knowing that Di hadn’t ever been with a girl before. She had been very tranquil in bed and hardly ever expressed any emotions, not wanting to let herself go, not wanting to scare her, but Di wished she would. She ached for Jasper to do her worst.

“You know.” She said, whispering in her ear. “It’s been a stressful day. I’m taking you to meet my dad.”

“DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE.”

“Calm down, Jasp.” Di smiled. “Let’s get this over with and take a train back today. You need to get back to those two, they’ll need you before the day’s over.”

“Yeah, okay… But I’m not dressed to go see your dad.”

Di stared at the big girl in front of her, clothed in knee-length jeans and a clean white shirt.

“Jasper… everything you brought is appropriate.” She muttered. “You’ll be fine. Come now, we’re going to the Diamond Manor.”  
“The Diamond Manor.” Jasper repeated, in a squeaky voice.

 

*                *                  *

Pearl sat in front of the shore, her feet hidden beneath the sand. Occasionally a foamy white wave would reach her and would bury her even deeper. She sighed and bent backwards, her elegant chest pointing upwards towards the Sun.

A shadow crossed her face and she opened her eyes to see Amethyst bending over her from behind.

“Hey P.” The shorter girl sat down behind her and Pearl rested her head in her lap, feeling relaxed and comforted. “You okay?”

“Yeah…” Pearl answered, lazily. “I’m a little worried about our friends, that’s all.”

“Yeah, I know right… poor Peri…” Amethyst caressed Pearl’s hair, making the taller girl sigh.

“Well, I feel very sorry for Peridot… but I probably would have acted more like Lapis, so I get her too.” Pearl looked up at Amethyst. “I guess.”

“Probably.” She bent down to kiss Pearl. “People like me and Peri just have to learn to handle people like you guys.”

“Oh Ame…” Pearl laughed. “I’m not that bad.”

“Of course you’re not.” Amethyst tugged at her bikini strings playfully. “I’d have you right here right now.”

“Amethyst!”

“Oh don’t act like you don’t like it when I say that kind of stuff.”

“I do. Don’t act like you don’t like me saying your name like that.”

Amethyst rolled over in the sand next to Pearl and smiled at her.

“I’m glad we’re different.” She whispered. “Unlike Peridot and Lapis, I know exactly what I want.”

“So do I.” Pearl stroked her cheek gently. “Although I didn’t realize until late…”

“Well, I didn’t get it at first…” Amethyst smiled. “I thought I had gone mad… I couldn’t understand those weird feelings that had gotten a hold on me.”

“For you it’s just plain weird to love me.” Pearl chuckled. “You’re the impersonation of freedom and I’m all rules.”

Amethyst bent over her, biting her own lip. She narrowed her eyes and caressed Pearl’s collarbone, fumbling with the straps of her bikini.

“Rules…” She said in a husky voice. “I bet your rules would stop us from making love right here right now.

Pearl shook her off and got up, heading for the rocks that formed at the shore. When she had reached them, she turned around with a sly look on her face.

“My rules don’t stop me from pinning you against these rocks.”

Amethyst got up so fast that the blood rushed out of her face and she felt dizzy, dropping on her knees. But she scrambled to her feet again as fast as she could and moved behind the rocks with Pearl, who had untied her bikini straps herself.

“I’m ready for the pinning.” Amethyst threw herself against a rock. “Do your worst.”

Pearl let out a crystal clear laugh and dropped her bikini top on the sand, walking slowly towards the shorter girl who tuned bright red.

“Oh Pearl.” She managed to say. “You go girl, throwing it on the floor.”

“You better hope I don’t throw you on the floor.” The tall girl pressed her slim body against Amethyst’s curves and gave her a long kiss. Amethyst responded, placing her hands on her small waist and she shivered as she felt Pearl untie her own bikini. It fell to the ground as well and the tall girl bent down to kiss her breasts. Amethyst let out a soft moan as the waves splashed around their feet and pressed her chest against Pearl’s face, as if wanting to accentuate the feeling. Pearl smiled and dropped to her knees, heading for her inner thighs. Eagerness crept over Amethyst, who placed a hand on Pearl’s head and accompanied her in the movement. Pearl herself seemed to be enjoying herself quite a lot.

“I never imagined something like this… when I met you…” The shorter girl muttered, playing with Pearl’s hair. The tall girl drew away from her thighs and smiled.

“Neither did I.” She said, quietly. “But then again, I didn’t imagine a lot of things.” She stood up and hugged her tightly. “I’m happy it turned out this way.”

“Me too.” Amethyst nuzzled against her chest, kissing her gently. Pearl dug her hands into the shorter girl’s hair and held her even closer.

“If I ever get on your nerves, just tell me…” She mumbled.

“Oh I will.” Amethyst smiled. “If you want me to tidy up my room, tell me as well.”

“Challenge accepted.”

They laughed and Amethyst pulled Pearl on the ground with her. The tall girl let out a yell and protested but was silenced with a kiss.

“Amethyst…”

“Come here.” Amethyst pushed her gently back into the sand and smiled as she turned red, staring at her with her beautiful blue eyes. “Woa, you blushing?”

“No.” Pearl looked away.

“You are!” Amethyst bent down to kiss her. “That’s really cute.”

Pearl smiled as the shorter girl kissed her neck, wondering if there had been any indications in their past to end up like this together. Maybe there were hints, like the mutual blushing when they walked in on each other changing, or the constant bickering that made them both upset… Who knew.

Pearl was just happy they had ended up together.

                                  *                   *                      *

 

Jasper gulped as she stood in front of the gates of the Diamond Manor as the building was huge and very luxury. It was surrounded by gardens and it even had a pool. A dozen people were working on the flowers in only the first stretch.

“Di, I can’t go in there.”

“Don’t be silly.”

Jasper was a brave person, she never turned away from anything – except relationships – and she was starting to feel that this was the same as with Lapis. She had gotten herself into something she couldn’t handle again. She loved Di with all her heart, but her father would never accept her and someone as rich and important would never be allowed to be her girlfriend. Jasper bit her lip, and took a step backwards.

“Di, he’ll never accept me… and if he knows I exist, it will be too easy for him to make rules so we can’t see each other.”

The wiery girl grabbed Jasper’s hand and looked into her eyes. Jasper stared back into Di’s golden eyes and felt a lump in her throat. Why was she so impulsive? From the first moment she had met her, she had known that she wanted her… Di seemed to guess Jasper’s internal conflict and let go of her hand.

“In this world you have to fight for what you want.” She said, coldly. “That’s your problem, you get yourself into races and before you reach the finishing line, you stop and turn around because you believe that you won’t win anyway!” She looked away, her expression somewhat gentler. “Am I not worth it?”

Jasper felt her insecurities vanish at the sight of her and cupped her cheeks with her hands, wiping a tear away.

“You’re right.” She whispered. “I’m happy again because of you. Sorry for being such a Little B. Let’s go.” She kissed Di on the top of her head. “I’m sorry.”

“You better be.” Di muttered, pressing her cheek against Jasper’s chest and smiling a little after doing that. “Be thankful you’re hot.”

“Yeah ‘cause that’s why you’re with me.”

“Totally.”

“I’m sure.”

Smiling, they crossed the gates hand in hand and walked up the white gravel path towards the front door. There were gardens at either side, laden with big yellow roses covered in droplets from the morning dew. The path curled up through the bushes until it reached a big circular fountain, showing some dolphins in cream colored stone. They sprayed water from their backs. Jasper gulped again.

“Why is it a mile till the front door?” She mumbled.

“We’re going in through the backdoor.” Di yanked her off the path and they crossed a couple of gardens covered in vines. Jasper stared around her, bewildered and Di laughed seeing her face. “Oh Jasp, it’s not that impressive… to me it’s just _home_.”

“You and I have different concepts of the word _home_ …” Jasper followed her across the small stony path that led to the backdoor. They went up some elegant looking steps and there it was: a small wooden door that led to the back of the house. They went through and Jasper opened her mouth: they were in a big corridor with tall ceilings, all covered in richly-embroidered tapestries. She wanted to touch them to see if they were real but Di pulled her along towards a small staircase at the end.

“This leads up to the second floor, where my father’s study is.” She said, curtly. “Let’s get this over with, shall we?”

Jasper gulped once more and nodded bravely, only to be dragged along by Di and having to climb up all those stairs till the second landing. There, her nervousness vanished for a moment as she gaped at the view: most of the second floor had giant windows and you could see as far as the ocean.  
“It’s beautiful.” Jasper muttered.

“It is.” Di smiled, as if she were appreciating it for the first time. “It sure is.”

They heard a noise behind them and they spun around quick. A door had opened and there stood a man with short black hair and a moustache. He looked between forty and fifty and he was wearing an elegant suit. His eyes moved towards Jasper and for a moment, it looked as if he were studying her. The big girl held his gaze bravely.

“Dad… daddy…” Di moved forward, pulling Jasper behind her.

“You told me you wanted me to meet somebody.” His voice was raspy and had a slight drawl to it. “I take it that means a special somebody.”

“Indeed.” Di seemed nervous.

“She’s a girl.” Her father said. He looked at Jasper. “You’re a girl, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.” Jasper held her head high and never withdrew her gaze, but she was feeling quite nervous inside. Di’s father didn’t look like the kind of person who had seen many same-sex couples in his life.

He looked at Di.

“I don’t understand.” He said.

“I know it’s confusing.” Di held Jasper’s hand bravely. “I didn’t know it myself until I met her… But dad, that’s just it… there’s nothing to know, nothing to understand. She’s a person, I’m a person… and I love her.”

Di’s father frowned and then looked at Jasper.

“What’s your name?” He asked her.

“Jasper, Mr. Diamond… sir…”

“Jasper, come with me. I want a word.” He opened the door to his study and held it for her as she went in, a terrified look on her face. Di stared after her, wondering if her father would go easy on her. She hoped he’d understand.

 

                                          *               *                *

Lapis stood up before the train had entered the station and groped her way out leaning on the seats for support. She had a lump in her throat, her stomach was churning and her palms were sweaty, something really unusual for her. She shivered a little as she clambered onto the platform and walked along to find her connection. She got onto the other subway line that led to the suburbs and sighed, standing closely by the entrance doors. Would Peridot be home?

When she finally arrived at the right station, she got out and went up the long staircase she had climbed many times with her small roommate. Peridot always huffed and puffed, muttering that the subway should invest in escalators. Lapis smiled as she remembered; the small girl complained a lot, but in the end, she walked pretty well on her prosthetic leg.

Lapis reached the street and hurried towards her flat, kicking the downstairs door open and running up the steps towards her landing. She drew the key in the keyhole and pushed it open, leaving her bag on the floor.

“Peridot!”

She hurried to the small girl’s bedroom but she wasn’t there. However, all her stuff was still strewn around the place and she heaved a sigh of relief. She wasn’t gone.

Lapis moved along the corridor and arrived in the living room. Peridot was making lunch – it smelled like egg noodles – and there were two bowls ready to be served.

“Hey Lapis.” She said with a nod. The blue haired girl was reminded of the time when she still didn’t know her and she had seemed rather apathic.

“Peridot…” Lapis doubted if she should move towards her.

“I made egg noodles.” Peridot interrupted. “It’s a bit early for lunch but I got up late and I’ll probably go to bed afterwards again… so yeah.”

“How did you know I’d come?”

“Predictable.” Peridot’s voice sounded empty and tired.

“Thanks, I guess.” Lapis moved towards the girl, ready to give her a hug, but Peridot dodged her elegantly and served her a bowl of noodles.

“Eat up.” She said, looking away, and seated herself at the other side of the table after leaving the wok on the fire and turning the gas off. Lapis sat down as well and started eating, never taking her eyes off the small girl.

Was this how Peridot had felt when she had come to her place the first night? Small, alone and unwelcomed even though she did her best?

Lapis ate her noodles quietly and stood up to get some water. She poured a glass for Peridot and the small girl thanked her rather politely. The blue haired girl bit her lip and sat down again. After a few minutes of awkward silence, Peridot spoke.

“I… Have something to say.”

“No… let me go first!” Lapis interrupted her. “I’m so sorry, what I said was…”

“… true.” Peridot said, quietly. “And you were right and I was wrong.” Lapis stared at her, without understanding. “I knew it was just casual sex but I still tried to find meaning behind it… You never lead me on, it was all my own stubborn hopeful mind.” She sighed and looked at the blue haired girl. “Lapis – I’m sorry.”

“What! No!” Lapis exclaimed. “Peri, I’m the one who should apologize! I said a bunch of hurtful things that I’d take back if I could. Everything I said was out of anger, I never meant any of it…”

“That’s okay.” Peridot had a ghost of a smile on her face. “I knew that.”

“Peridot…”

The small girl shoved a piece of paper over the table towards Lapis, who took it and stared at it. There was a telephone number scribbled onto the slip.

“What’s this?”

“I… did some research last night.” Peridot looked away, not daring to meet Lapis’ eyes. “You won’t be able to pay the rent by yourself and I think you’d get easily stressed if you’d move in with Jasper, so… I found you a roommate… Her name’s Opal, she’s in our class as well, you must know her… long hair, always sits in the front with us nerds, very forgetful…”

Lapis couldn’t believe her ears. Her heart was pounding in her chest and a cold dread was creeping over her body; she hadn’t felt like that since her breakup with Jasper.

“What are you saying? Why do I need a roommate?”

Peridot sighed deeply.

“I’m leaving.”

Lapis stood up from the table and then dropped down on her knees.

“No, Peridot, you can’t do that…” She muttered, looking at her. “You can’t…” She was having trouble trying to breathe. “You… can’t…”

“I have to.” Peridot got up and left the bowls in the sink.

“Peridot, I’m sorry!” Lapis cried.

“Don’t be… you were right. And that’s why I have to go.” Peridot heaved her up from the ground and brought her to the sofa, where she slumped down like a bag of flour. “I can’t go on like this, Lapis… I messed up. I thought I could handle what we had but it wasn’t so…”

“Peridot…” Lapis whispered.

“It’s ok, I get it. You were hurt because of Jasper and you needed to take it out on someone. It’s okay, we had fun.” Peridot walked towards the corridor. “But from now on, no more crying, Lapis. You’re fine. You’re gonna be fine.” And she disappeared into her own room, closing the door behind her.

She was packing.

*               *                *

Di fumbled nervously with the hem of her summer dress, twisting and turning the lace in her fingers. Jasper and her dad had been in the study for a long time now. She wondered what was taking them so long.

Finally the door clicked and a radiant Jasper walked towards her, smiling broadly. Di smiled back and then looked at her dad. He seemed happy as well.

“You didn’t tell me she liked motorbikes and working out…” He told Di, frowning a little. “Why did you hide her from me that long?”  
Di heaved a sigh of relief and clinged onto Jasper’s waist.

“Daddy…” She muttered. “… thanks…”

“Yeah, I like her.” Her dad clapped Jasper on the back. “You couldn’t have brought me a finer… person.” He smiled a little. “Take good care of my little princess.”

“Thank you sir, I will.” Jasper answered with a lopsided grin. Yellow Diamond’s father returned to his study, smiling, and Di jumped into Jasper’s arms with a shout of glee.

“WE DID IT!” She screamed.

“Yes.” Jasper kissed her, gently. “We sure did.”

“Come.” Di pulled her up yet another flight of stairs and Jasper was once again mesmerized by the view. “My room’s over here.”

“Why are you taking me to your room?” Jasper grinned. “Shouldn’t we head back?”

Di smiled and opened the door, making the big girl gasp. Her room was as big as Jasper’s entire apartment and it was pretty beautiful. There was a big wooden four poster bed, painted white, and an elegant light desk in front of one of the windows. Pale bookcases surrounded the walls and light grey curtains covered most of the windows. There was a sofa as well, in front of a huge TV screen. At the far side of the room, there stood an easel next to a huge CD player.

“Wow.” Jasper sighed. “It’s really nice.”

“Thanks.” Di removed her T-shirt and threw it in a small container for the wash. Jasper stared at her girlfriend, dressed in nothing but shorts and a bikini top, and felt an aching she wasn’t supposed to have. It made her feel guilty, unworthy of her. Di saw her look and smiled, walking towards her as she untied her bikini’s straps. It fell on the floor beside them.

“Di…” Jasper whispered.

“The door is locked, the walls are soundproof, everything’s fine.” The wiery girl placed her hands on Jasper’s neck and moved slowly down, stroking her broad chest. “There’s been no chance for intimacy in the tent – although that didn’t stop some of the others.” She added with a sly grin. “Jasper, I want you.”

“Woa, Di… right here, right now?” Jasper asked nervously, but the ache was growing stronger and she knew she wanted her as well. Their lips locked as they fell into a sweet embrace and Di pulled her towards the bed, where they both slumped down on.

“Jasper…” Di hissed. “Don’t hold back.”

Jasper bent down over her and kissed her breasts gently and then sliding her tongue softly over the surface. Di let out a little moan and the big girl noticed her desire grow as she felt her body tremble under her touch.

“You’re so beautiful.” She sighed.

“Don’t think that you aren’t…” Di gasped as Jasper’s fingers softly pulled her shorts off. The big girl moved down and ran her tongue between her thighs. “Oh Dear God, Jasper.” She looked up.

“Is it okay?”

“No, don’t ask that! It’s fine! It’s great!” Di exclaimed impatiently. “Oh Jasper, I want you to stop going easy on me and take control! I want that!”

Jasper went a little red.

“You want me to… let go?”

“YES!”

Jasper went even redder and bent down again, this time working her tongue on a more efficient manner, moving it faster and faster until Di almost came. Then, she drew away from there and bent over the girl again, biting her neck with certain force. Di gasped and Jasper let go quickly.

“I’m sorry! I…”

“DON’T BE SORRY GODDAMMIT!” Di pulled her back towards her neck. “When will you get that I want you to let go? Come on, do your worst.”

Jasper moved her tongue alongside her neck, passing over the mark where she had bitten her. She used her teeth again, this time gentler, but pressing into the spot she had nibbled before. Di moaned softly and Jasper moved one hand down to her thighs in order to give the girl the excitement she wanted. Di’s moans grew stronger and Jasper felt her release as she bit her neck hard.

“Oh God.” Di massaged her neck. “Oh God Jasper, that was incredible, please do that again, I want you to bite me like that, oh…” She smiled at the red-faced girl in front of her. “Whoops, did I scare you?”

“It’s fine.” Jasper kissed the bite marks gently. “I hope that doesn’t hurt too much.”

“It feels sore, but boy was it worth it.” Di sighed and bent over Jasper. “Come now, let me do _my_ worst.” Jasper widened her eyes and fell backwards onto the cushion like a big tame bear. Di moved her hands slowly along her torso, contouring each of her abs with her fingers. “C’mon, moan, I know you want to…”

Jasper stared at her stubbornly and Di interpreted it as a challenge: she removed the big girl’s shirt completely and started fumbling with the elegant black bikini underneath. Jasper wore sporty swimsuits far too often – which were also nice – but Di loved seeing how her breasts were neatly stacked on her chest, drawn close by the bikini. She kissed the round shapes, probing with her tongue and finally made Jasper roll over onto her stomach so that she could unfasten the bikini top from behind. It fell loosely at both sides and Di pulled it away from underneath her firm body.

Jasper’s back was broad, strong and very inviting. Di kissed her neck softly and the big girl shuddered as she slid her tongue across her spine.

“Di…” Jasper groaned, hugging the pillow beneath her with more force than she intended. But Di didn’t stop. She moved her tongue across Jasper’s back with quick sensual movements, making the big girl bite her lip to contain her arousal. She didn’t want to lose control, not with her.

Di, on the other hand, was determined to make Jasper do exactly that. She moved towards her waist and nibbled softly on the small yet visible stretch marks that ran from there till her thighs. She placed her hands under Jasper’s stomach and kissed her lower back, sliding her body elegantly over hers. Jasper could feel the touch of her soft breasts on her skin and closed her eyes, not wanting to lose control… not wanting to let go…

“Di…”

She turned around and the wiery girl slid on top of her, staring at her with a sweet smile.

“Thanks for turning around.” She said slyly and bent down to kiss her breasts. Jasper’s hands cupped her small face as she ran her tongue across her chest and held her still.

“Just… stay here…” Jasper said, with a sigh and Di understood. She enclosed her mouth over one breast as she massaged the other with her hand. Jasper accompanied her movements placing her own hand on her head, pushing Di into her chest, urging her to give more.

“Don’t be gentle.” She muttered. “You said you’d do your worst.”

Di smiled and nibbled at her firm breasts, leaving bite marks almost as red as her own. Jasper sighed and begged her for more, making the wiery girl wonder if she was finally letting herself go out of control. She moved away from Jasper’s chest and pulled at her pants, which she removed with some difficulty. Her eye’s met Jasper’s and then Di moved down, plunging in between her thighs with her mouth. She felt her own arousal grow again as the big girl let out a small moan, sliding further and further out of control. She moaned as well and hoped Jasper would want to please her again afterwards.

But afterwards wasn’t soon enough for the big girl, who gently turned Di’s legs around, facing her. Her strong hands took her waist and brought her down to her mouth as Di kept on pleasing her with her own. Jasper had never done that with her before and the smaller girl wanted to cry out as she felt the pleasure creeping over her. Jasper was… really good at this. The movement of her head, her tongue… the firm hands on her hips… Di moaned loudly, collapsing on top of her, having come yet again. It was so embarrassing! Jasper was _so good_ at this; the pleasure was so intense…

But her nervousness didn’t last long for she heard Jasper groan loudly, making her smile.

“Oh Di…”

She felt one of her hands grasp her hair and she was surprised, knowing that Jasper wasn’t like that… The big girl was gentle, but firm and Di liked how it felt to be told what to do, even if it was just for an instant. It was hot and she accepted the tight grip in her hair.

“Di…” Jasper’s moans were growing louder and Di knew that Jasper had let go. This was what she wanted, this was what she’d been waiting for… the smaller girl worked her tongue between Jasper’s thighs, going quicker and quicker as the big girl’s moans increased.

“Yes, Di!” Jasper exclaimed. “Faster! I… Oh!”

Di moved aside as Jasper’s release came elegant and abundant in a way she had not expected. The big girl let out a cry and then a groan, leaning her head backwards on the cushion. Di stared in wonder as her whole body trembled and then eventually, lay still. Jasper opened her eyes; she was red in the face.

“Wow.” Di whispered.

“Sorry.” Jasper bit her lip. “I didn’t wanna lose control, as you can see, it’s rather _messy_ when I do…”

“Are you kidding me…” Di lay down beside her and hugged her, smiling broadly. “This was awesome, I love how you let go… it was amazing, it was so arousing… Oh Jasper, please don’t stay in control for me…”

Jasper smiled and kissed her gently.

“Alright.” She sighed. “It’s a torture staying in control with you biting me all over anyways.” She grinned as Di took a quick nip at her neck. “Oh my, are you up for more?”

“Oh yeah.” Di smiled, but then she grew serious. “Wait, I guess we should go down to the beach and start packing. I don’t want Peridot and Lapis alone in the city like that, we should go…”

“Yeah, we should.” Jasper hugged her tightly. “I’m sorry we met in such a difficult time.”

“I don’t care.” Di smiled. “All I know is that I’m happy with you, no matter what. And I love you. But your friends are important to you, therefore, we should go and you should try to get to them in time. Before one of them does something drastic, I mean.”

Jasper nodded as they both started hunting for their clothes, strewn madly around the room. The way she forgot about stuff when she was with Di – incredible. But reality always came back at some point and right now, two of her best friends were hurting badly.

“Jasper, you started this.” She whispered, at the window that led to the ocean. “Now you have to help them.”

 

*               *                *

Nightfall had crept over the city and Lapis Lazuli sat on the roof, looking at the stars, an activity she hadn’t done alone in half a year. _Alone_ … That word seemed so strange to her right now. She’d have to sleep alone, eat alone, drink alone, binge watch series alone… She winced. Wake up alone, go to Uni alone, take the subway alone… live alone. Everything alone.

Jasper had called before; she and the others had come back to the city as well. Lapis had responded gently but she hadn’t seen her. She wanted to be alone. The big girl hadn’t been able to contact Peridot either and in the end, Lapis had sent her a text saying that they both needed some time away from everyone. Jasper had understood.

Lapis gasped. A cold hand had gripped her heart tightly and dread was slowly creeping over her whole body. Peridot was leaving her, not only had she been dumped – even if that was unofficial – but she was leaving the apartment… Her little Peri was leaving.

Lapis sighed and buried her head in her arms, wondering how she could have been so stupid to let the one chance to be happy slip away… just like that.

It took months to build up a relationship like theirs.

And only one second to destroy it all.

“I’m so sorry, Peridot.” She whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next Chapter: Who am I Now?
> 
> Lapis tries to stop Peridot from leaving.


	12. Who am I Now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lapis and Peridot's story comes to an end - to whatever end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here's the last chapter. There's still an epilogue to come so I'm not saying my goodbyes yet. I hope you like it. It's a bit shorter than the others, but I wanted all the drama to fall on Lapis and Peridot, so it's mostly about their final decision and their respective Deus Ex Machinas. I hope it's the satisfying ending you were waiting for, although I know I won't be able to please everyone at once. The amount of fluff is entirely my fault, as my head's been in the clouds these days. 
> 
> Thank you for your lovely comments, I'm really happy that you like the fic and that you think it's good. 
> 
> PS - The small cursive intro is from a scene I decided to cut, in which Peridot phones Jasper crying. I wanted to place it there so that you could see it actually happened and that it made Jasper determined not to give up on them. The scene didn't feel right in the chapter so I took it out, because I was interested in showing Lapis' evolution. I will probably upload the cut scenes and sketches to my tumblr alongside a prequel I've been working on, but that might still take some time.
> 
> Thank you again, you're awesome!!!

** **

 

 

** Chapter Eleven **

** Who am I Now? **

****

_Jasper picked up her ringing phone with a smile and realized only afterwards that it was Peridot who had called her._

_“Hey Peri…”_

_“Jasper…” Her voice sounded oddly choked. Jasper noticed she was crying. “I… need you.”_

_“Peridot… are you at home?”_

_“Yeah…” Peridot started sobbing. “I need you to tell me that I made the right decision because it sure doesn’t feel that way.”_

****

Lapis drew a rag over the bar and attempted to wipe it clean but some of the stains just wouldn’t come off even though she tried her best. _Just like me_ , she thought.

The Frappuccino machine behind her emitted a small peep and she turned around to get the cup. After spraying some chocolate syrup over it alongside some whipped cream, she took it towards a table in the far corner.

“Thanks.” Jasper said, as she put the frap in front of her.

“Since when do you drink this stuff.” Lapis loosened her apron and sat down opposite her with a small sigh. She looked tired and had huge bags under her eyes. Jasper wondered if she had gotten any sleep at all those past few nights.

“I’m on a cheat diet right now.” The big girl leaned forward and stroked Lapis’ cheek gently. “How are you holding out? You look terrible…”

“You’re ugly.” Lapis mumbled. Jasper chuckled. The blue haired girl smiled a little and dug a finger into the Frappuccino, stealing some of the cream.

“Hey!” Jasper protested. “I need this fat.”

“I need it more…” Lapis took another swig and Jasper drew the cup away from her.

“Get off!”

They laughed a little and then Jasper took one of the plastic spoons that came in those little bags, opening it with her teeth. She dipped it in the cream and started feeding it to Lapis, who accepted the offer graciously.

“Half a year ago, I came here often because I wanted to connect with you again.” Jasper sighed. “I was afraid it would never happen.”

“Now you’re here every day anyway, being a pain in the ass like always.” Lapis muttered, as she was fed another spoonful of cream. “Wvffuck djyou.”

“Now we’re friends again and it’s all thanks to Peridot.” Jasper took a spoonful herself, sighing as she tasted the chocolate syrup. “So good…”

“Yeah… almost makes you think there aren’t any regrets…” Lapis muttered bitterly and she hung her head down.

“Has she spoken to you yet?” Jasper asked.

“Only the usual things… good morning, eat up, I’ll shower first, see you after Uni…” Lapis sighed deeply. “Every time I try to talk to her, she comes up with an excuse. And she has been hanging out with Garnet and Amethyst…”

“That’s fine.” Jasper said. “They’re fine, you know that.”

“Yeah, I know, it’s not jealousy speaking…” Lapis mumbled. “I just want her to be talk to me again…”

“Then you have to fight for her.” Jasper fed her another spoonful of cream which she accepted happily.

“Oh she’s not going anywhere.” Lapis crossed her arms stubbornly. “I won’t let her leave just like that, I’m not getting another roommate.”

“I’m not going to suggest you come and stay with Di and me…” Jasper muttered. “But at the rate you’re going, you may have to do just that.”

“You don’t think she’ll hear me out?” Lapis asked, suddenly scared.

“She’s leaving tomorrow morning.” Jasper said, firmly. “You should hurry and talk to her tonight.” She drained what remained of the frap and stood up. “The gang are going for a karaoke night, I’ll be with them as Di is out of town these days… but I’ll have my phone with me at all times so I want you to call me if things turn out wrong. Understood?”

“Yes, Jasper.”

Lapis’ shift ended shortly afterwards and the blue haired girl hurried to the subway in order to take the train to the suburbs where she lived. When she finally arrived at the apartment, the lights had been turned down dim and she imagined Peridot would be in her room. She walked towards the kitchen and found a little note stuck to a plate covered with the lid of a pan.

_Eat up_

With a lump in her throat, Lapis realized Peridot had made her favorite meal: chicken breast and fries. She gulped it up hungrily, trying to ignore the pain in her heart and then left the dishes in the sink. She turned the lights down and moved towards the small girl’s bedroom, opening the door silently and shutting it behind her. She crept into Peridot’s bed and gently placed her arms around her waist.

The small girl was awake but remained completely still, as if she wanted to keep that moment frozen for ever. Lapis was glad that she hadn’t moved away and kissed her neck softly.

“No, Lapis.” Came her soft yet firm voice.

“Peridot, please.”

“No.” Peridot turned around to face her. “We’re done – whatever this was. It’s over now, I don’t want to do this anymore.” The honesty in her eyes hit Lapis like a thousand knives and she tightened her grip on the small girl.

“I’m so sorry.” She whispered. “All I try to do is apologize for what I did, I need you to know that I’m sorry and that I didn’t mean it. I don’t want you to be mad anymore…”

“Lapis…” Peridot said softly, stroking her hair. “I’m not mad. I was… at the moment, but I’m not anymore. Anger was never the problem.” She drew close to her. “Don’t you understand? I need to leave – not out of spite – but because I can’t do this anymore. All this time we were together I felt hurt and distressed. I thought being away from you would make me feel worse, but somehow I know I have to do it. I though I could deal with the whole casual sex thing, but in the end, it just felt wrong.” She clasped Lapis’ hand. “Because I loved you.”

Lapis stared at her and she felt the lump in her throat become more intense. Her eyes felt watery as well and she wondered if she was going to cry.

“Did I really make you feel that bad?” She said, in a cracked voice.

“Yes.” Peridot answered. “But it wasn’t your fault. I fell for it. I’m to blame here. You were always clear on your intentions.” She turned around again, letting go of Lapis’ hand. “Go to your own bed, Lapis. This won’t do us any good. I need to rest, I have to leave tomorrow.”

“NO!” Lapis hugged her tightly and started sobbing uncontrollably. “PERIDOT NO!” She couldn’t stop, tears were just flowing out. Her whole body was shaking and the small girl felt as if she was losing it as she held her. How on Earth did this seem like the right decision? She didn’t want to leave Lapis, did she? But Peridot shook that thought out of her head and let go of the blue haired girl, knowing that the pain would go and that they’d both be happier some day. She had to do it for both of them. Lapis then seemed to remember where she was and she ran out of the small girl’s room, landing in the living-room. She fell to her knees and started crying her eyes out on the cold floor, without the energy to reach out for a tissue. Why o why had she gotten herself into something like this again without even realizing it? This was her breakup with Jasper all over again… But it hurt far worse.

Peridot heard her crying and felt tears come up in her own eyes. Silently, they rolled down her cheeks and she found herself wondering if Jasper had felt that way too when she had broken up with Lapis. How could anything be that painful?

 

*               *                *

Jasper was cheering alongside Amethyst as Pearl spun around elegantly.

“ _War and glory, re-invention, fusion, freedom – her attention_ …”

Rose was smiling at her. Pearl and Amethyst had opened up about their relationship and the whole gang had reacted enthusiastically. Rose had been a little skeptical at first, but when she had seen the sweetness in which the two treated each other, she had been satisfied. It was about time that Pearl was happy. And even though she still liked owning the mic to sing sad songs, everyone could she that she was happy. As her song ended, she sat down on the couch beside Amethyst and nuzzled her neck, smiling. The shorter girl kissed her brow and then passed the mic to Garnet, who started singing Call These Boys with her wonderful voice.

Just moments later, when Garnet had finished and Greg was scrolling through the list of songs, the door opened and a worn-down Lapis came in, surprising everyone with her look. It wasn’t her usual crop-top or black eyeliner or even leather jacket that surprised them, as that were just normal everyday Lapis Lazuli traits. It was her expression that frightened them that day.

“Lapis!” Jasper moved towards her and grabbed her shoulder. “I told you to call me… did you talk to Peridot? What’s…?”

“Jasper.” Lapis said, in a stern voice and the big girl let go, looking worried. What had happened between those two?

Lapis walked towards the couch and sat down, opening a beer with a short an elegant knock on the table. She drank half the bottle and crossed one leg over the other, looking at the screen absent-mindly. Jasper walked towards her and sat down next to her, trying to take the beer away from her, but Lapis just moved the bottle away and scowled.

“Lapis… what happened?”

“Peridot and I are done.” The blue haired girl said curtly.

“No…” Jasper said. “That can’t be right… what happened?”

“She hates my guts and I’m not surprised. I hate myself too.” Lapis smiled ironically at the bottle in her hands. “I’m weak on my own, I’m nothing… I only feel fully complete when I’m with someone… I act like I wanna be alone but truth is, I yearn for human contact… It’s okay, I can get over her. I can be alone again.”

“Lapis…”

“Leave me alone, Jasper. Go sing a bit.” Lapis sighed. “I’m good.”

Greg had decided to carry on and sang a sweet duet with Rose, and Jasper walked towards Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl with a frown.

“Something’s terribly wrong.”

“Tell me about it.” Pearl grimaced. “Lapis has two faces: angst and nuclear disaster.” She got up. “Let me handle this one, Jasper. Trust me.”

Pearl walked towards Lapis and sat down next to her. The blue haired girl didn’t seem to mind and they sat in silence for a while. Lapis drained her beer and took another one, but Pearl grabbed her wrist.

“You don’t wanna do that.”

“It’s just my second…”

“You don’t wanna get wasted tonight.” Pearl pulled her up. “Let’s go outside.”

Lapis followed her reluctantly through the corridors of the karaoke place until they reached one of the small balconies that surrounded the building. Pearl leaned on the bannister and looked down at the street below. It seemed really small.

“In my first year of Uni, I came here too on a karaoke night.” She muttered, as Lapis stared at her. “Greg and Rose had just kissed for the first time and I thought my heart was going to break in a thousand pieces.” She smiled at Lapis. “I stood here, so consumed in my grief that the street below seemed like a good place to land…” The blue haired girl shuddered. “I wouldn’t have done it, of course, I’m a coward. It takes a certain bravery to make decisions like that… yeah, don’t look at me like that, it’s true.” Pearl sighed. “But at that moment I saw that my will to live and be happy depended on Rose so from that day forward, I started working on something…”

“What?”

“We are all individuals, we are all alone.” Pearl smiled. “We go through our lives meeting people, being in families, making them… But we are autonomous beings who can stand on our own two feet if we want to. Romance is like that too… it’s not about depending on someone else, it’s not about becoming someone’s other half… It’s about finding someone you want to have walking beside you, creating their own path next to yours. You cannot own a person, you cannot hold them… You can only feel the same way and acknowledge that to each other…”

Lapis placed a hand on Pearl’s shoulder and gripped it tight. The tall girl looked at her and saw there were tears in her eyes… Lapis Lazuli, crying… Pearl drew her arms around her and they stood there embraced for a while. Lapis cried silently into her chest, shaking as she felt Pearl’s arms around her.

“I love her so much.” She sobbed. “And I know I can’t own her, Pearl, I really do… But I want her by my side…”

“That’s really special, if you feel that way.” Pearl hugged her tightly. “Lapis, can you think of anything Peridot would want?”

“Like a gift?”

“More like a guarantee…” Pearl drew her away so that she could look into her eyes, which were red and watery. “What does she need from you?”

“Nothing.”

“Think harder.”

Lapis looked up.

“She hated the _casual_ sex… well, it wasn’t casual, but she thought it was… I thought so too at first, but…”

“You’re getting somewhere.”

“If I could just convince her that it wasn’t…” Lapis cried. “How will she ever believe me?”

“That’s for you to decide.” Pearl smiled. “But if you can promise Peridot a happy life with you, you will receive a lot of happiness in return.”

Lapis frowned but then looked up.

“Yeah.” She said. “Yeah, you’re right, Pearl. I have to tell her… I have to tell her that she will be happy…” The blue haired girl headed towards the door but then turned around and looked at her. “Thanks.”

“No problem.” Pearl smiled, wondering if Lapis would run off right now. It was past five am and the subway would be open again soon.

Lapis ran towards the karaoke room and jumped on Jasper, who was clapping at Amethyst’s solo. The big girl turned around.

“What? Lap…?”

“I need your motorbike.”  
“What?”

“The subway isn’t open yet, I need your motorbike!” Lapis insisted. “Peridot’s getting up real early to move…”

“Yeah, I know… I was going to head there after the karaoke to help her.” Jasper muttered, guiltily. “She wanted to catch an early train home for a few days after leaving her stuff at my place.”

“Well, damn it, Jasper! What are we waiting for? I have to fight for her, you said it yourself!” Lapis exclaimed.

“I’ll take you.”

With a quick goodbye, Jasper and Lapis ran out of the karaoke room and headed for the street outside, where Jasper’s motorbike had been parked just a few hours before. The big girl handed Lapis a helmet and then they took off, riding through the night streets of Empire City. The blue haired girl smiled.

“Just like old times.”

“Just like old times.” Jasper repeated.

 

                                          *                  *                   *

Peridot had just finished packing her last essential things in her night bag when she heard the sound of a huge motorbike outside. She frowned, wondering what idiot would be riding around at almost six am. The small girl stacked her suitcases outside the room, wondering if Jasper would arrive soon. Then, she looked up in sudden realization.

“She came with her bike. Of course.” The small girl left the apartment and walked downstairs, wondering why Jasper hadn’t come up yet, but when she came onto the street, she understood.

Lapis took off her helmet, handing it to Jasper, and walked towards her.

“Peridot I need to speak to you.”

“No.” Peridot moved away. “My decision is final.”

“PERIDOT GOD DAMN IT!” Jasper shouted, scaring them both. “WILL YOU FUCKING LISTEN TO HER BEFORE DECIDING THAT YOU WANT TO LEAVE? YEAH SHE MADE MISTAKES, AND NO ONE IS BLAMING YOU BUT… DAMMIT PERIDOT, JUST FUCKING GIVE HER A MOMENT TO TALK TO YOU! DON’T BE SO GOD DAMMED STUBBORN! DON’T…” She paused, her voice becoming gentler. “Don’t make the same mistake I did, you will regret it.”

Peridot and Lapis were staring at Jasper, wide-eyed and eyebrows raised. They had never seen her fly off the handle like that and it was quite scary. Jasper seemed to realize that and walked towards her bike again, muttering something. Peridot sighed and looked at Lapis.

“Ok, let’s talk.”

The two of them headed towards the park, right beside the apartment block. It was a creepy place at night, but as daylight was already coming forth, they decided to enter anyway. The tall trees cast strange shadows over the ground and the lake looked a little eerie, but the two roommates sat down on a bench in front of it and stared at the scenery in silence. Not far away, Jasper stood, leaning against a tree and observing them casually. She didn’t want to leave them all alone.

“I’m sorry.” Lapis said, after a while.

“You said sorry already. Everything’s been forgiven.” Peridot sighed.

“No.” Lapis mumbled. “Sorry for taking you for granted. You were so cute and innocent so I thought it wouldn’t be hard to get you into my bed. It was very wrong of me, and I’m sorry.”

Peridot looked away, uncomfortably.

“I never understood…” She muttered. “I’m not that attractive… I’m small and nerdy and I…”

Lapis sighed.

“You are pretty, you have beautiful eyes, your body is fantastic and… you’re a wonderful person.” She muttered. “You are everything, Peridot. You should know that. Anyone would be lucky to have you.”

The small girl shifted, still uncomfortable.

“You hated me.”

“I was bitter from the breakup. I made mistakes… As I said, I took you for granted and I’m so sorry… At the moment I just didn’t realize what a gem I had right in front of me…” Lapis took Peridot’s hand in hers. “And yes, it’s wrong to depend on people, to use them or to make them do stuff they don’t really want to do… I’m a shitty person, Peridot, I admit it. But I care about you. And all the nights we spent together became something else to me, something new… They became magical.” The blue haired girl felt tears prickling up again and Peridot saw them too. She jerked her hand away from Lapis’ and stood up, walking towards the lake. She observed as the reeds moved slightly because of the wind. The blue haired girl walked towards her.

“Peridot.” She said, tears falling down her cheek. “I know what I did was wrong. I know I don’t deserve another chance, I really don’t. But let me just say that weather I wanted it to happen or not, you became my everything. You were there for me through the hardest of times and you cared for me on a way that… nobody had done before. You changed your entire lifestyle to please me and I can’t stress enough how grateful I am that you did that, even though I did not deserve it. I still don’t deserve it.” Lapis moved a little closer. “You are by far the greatest, most selfless person I know and I adore you with all the adoration my heart can give. I love you with all the love my heart can feel. I want you beyond anything else.” Peridot turned towards her, her gaze fixed on the blue haired girl. Her eyes were glassy but her expression had changed. She almost looked normal, again. “Peridot.” Lapis drew her arms around the small girl, who didn’t move. “I have been the biggest and most selfish asshole in the world to you and you have no reason whatsoever to stay here with me. I am not going to stop you from leaving because I know now that I don’t deserve you and I never will. But if you do decide to stay with me, I promise that I’ll spend every single day of my life making up for what I did, loving you like I should have done all these months and protecting you against the world because you deserve that. If you do decide to stay… know that I will be there for you and stand by your side as you reach your goals in life. I will cheer for you and watch you become an even greater person than you already are. I will…” Lapis let go of her and moved a step backwards. “I, Lapis Lazuli, am in love with you and I want you to be my girlfriend.”

Jasper, still leaning against the tree, was crying silently as she recorded the speech for the group chat. She knew it was wrong but oh boy, that was beautiful. Who would have known that Lapis had words like that in her?

Peridot stared at the blue haired girl she had fallen in love with. Tears were streaming down her eyes and her hair was blowing around her face due to the soft breeze. The small girl walked towards her, and she noticed that her own face was wet as well. With a tiny sob, she gripped Lapis’ waist and buried her head in her chest and they stood there embraced for a while. Lapis stroked her hair gently, wondering if she would be able to cope without her, but then Peridot looked up and smiled.

“Well then…” She whispered. “Let’s go home.”

Jasper stared after them as they walked towards the apartment, hand in hand and wondered if she should follow them. But then she decided not to and walked towards her motorbike with a smile. She fastened her helmet and rode off in the morning light, knowing that both of them had taken a huge step. They all had.

Lapis and Peridot had barely reached their landing when they jumped into each others arms to kiss. The blue haired girl opened the door with some difficulty and pinned the small girl to the wall, kissing her neck over and over again. Peridot kicked the door shut with her good leg and tugged at Lapis’ leather jacket, in order to take it off. Lapis shuddered as she felt Peridot’s small hands go under her top and unhook her bra, which fell to the floor moments later. The blue haired girl pulled Peridot’s T-shirt over her head and bent over to kiss her chest, grabbing her waist tight.

“Lapis, bedroom.” Peridot muttered, shivering against the cold wall. Lapis obeyed and they went into her own room, landing on the bed on top of each other. The blue haired girl grinned as she filled Peridot’s body with kisses and the small girl threw her head backwards with pleasure.

“My Peri…” Lapis whispered, drawing circles with her tongue. “I love you.”

“Me too.” Peridot rolled her over and bent down between her thighs, making Lapis gasp. She placed her hand on the small girl’s head and accompanied her movements, shuddering as her release came soon – far too soon… but it was normal, Peridot had always been so goddamn good at that. She shivered as the small girl kissed her neck and then pinned her to the bed so she could please her as well.

Not much later they were both laying there, staring into nothingness, Peridot resting her head on Lapis’ bare chest.

“That was…”

“…quick…”

They laughed and Lapis hugged her tightly.

“So um…”

“Yes, Lapis, I’m staying.”

“Good.”

Lapis smiled as they both closed their eyes and went to sleep, feeling happy for the first time in many days. With their bodies pressed against each other, it truly seemed like all other problems had vanished. And maybe they had.

 

*                  *                   *

Peridot awoke due to a sweet smell coming from somewhere. She sniffed a little and then opened her eyes, wondering what that was all about. Her hand automatically went to the place beside her but Lapis wasn’t there. She frowned and sat up straight.

Lapis came in moments later with a small tray and smiled at the girl who was staring at her, wide-eyed. She sat the tray down in front of her and crept in bed next to her.

“Morning Peri. I made you pancakes.”

Peridot smiled as the two of them cuddled in bed munching on a huge plate of pancakes, accompanied by Nutella and strawberry jam. She had no idea where Lapis had found her fluffy side but she was secretly pleased and nuzzled against her.

“Thank you.” She whispered.

“I just wanted to make you breakfast like you did so many times.” Lapis stroked her hair. “I will do so more often from now on.”

“Sounds good to me, these pancakes are delicious.” Peridot smiled. She looked up at her, and Lapis smiled back. “Did you mean it by the way?”  
“What?”

“The whole girlfriend thing…” Peridot went a little red.

“Oh that…” Lapis grinned. “Yeah, I want you to be me girlfriend. Please be my girlfriend.” She filled Peridot’s neck with kisses. “Will you? Will you?”

Peridot laughed and hugged her.

“Yes of course.” She kissed her on the lips. “I’ll spend the day changing my relationship status on all my social media…”

“Damn it, Peri.” Lapis laughed. “That will take a few hours.”

They laughed as the blue haired girl pulled her laptop from her nigh table.

“What do you say? Camp Pining Hearts marathon?”

Peridot swallowed a piece of pancake and grinned broadly.

“Let’s do this.”

The two of them giggled as the season one opening sequence began and Lapis drew Peridot closer to her, kissing the op of her head.

It was going to be a good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next: Epilogue (I will probably upload it tomorrow)
> 
> UPDATE: So I wasn't able to upload the epilogue last week and I won't be able to do it the next few days either, as I'm starting classes and we're going on a get-to-know-humans-camping-trip (insert Bob-Lapis face here). I hope you have an awesome week and I'll update soon. I'll also add specials. But they're a surprise. Someone did suggest them though.


	13. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the fic's epilogue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has been intense.
> 
> First of all, thank you so much for your interest, your support and your lovely comments... I do not always respond to them, but I read them all and I smile a lot. They actually inspire me. I'm so happy I've been able to make you feel stuff with this fic, and I'm actually quite sad it's done now. 
> 
> The reason why I wrote this story is because many of us have felt, are feeling or will feel many of the emotions these characters have gone through. First relationships don't always fail, but if they do, there's always something else waiting for you, even if it takes some time to heal. I wanted to show Lapis' evolution as a guarantee for everyone - and also myself - that it gets better and that loving yourself is important in order to be able to love someone else. I hope I was able to reach someone with that.
> 
> I will be posting a couple of "specials", like the group chat sequence between Jasper and the gang while Lapis and Peridot are talking in the park, or some other thing. I'm not sure if it will be in a narrative form yet, but we'll see. I'm also busy with a prequel of how Jasper and Lapis met, but I'm not entirely sure if I'll post that yet, as I like people to think of me as a Lapidot fic writer. 
> 
> So again, thank you so much for reading this. Keep being awesome!!!

** Epilogue **

 

The coffee shop wasn’t crowded at all that day, probably because it was sunny outside and everyone had already gone out of town to celebrate the Fourth of July festivities with their friends and family. Lapis was sitting at the bar, smiling lazily at the empty chairs as an angsty song played on the radio behind her. But her feelings hadn’t matched that kind of songs in a long time.

Her heart leaped when the door opened and Jasper and Peridot came in, wearing shorts and tank tops because of the heat outside. She had snorted when her small girlfriend had first bought those clothes but now she thought Peridot looked good in them. Jasper and Di had managed to get her out of the house that summer and she was even a little tan. Lapis smiled when the small girl walked towards her, beaming.

“Lap!” She exclaimed. “Are you ready to close this thing up and come with us?” The small girl moved towards her and gave her a kiss, which Lapis received with enthusiasm. Her heart fluttered every time Peridot did that.

“Yeah, let’s go.” She grinned and nodded at Jasper in acknowledgement. The big girl smiled and the three of them left the coffee shop after closing up. Lapis drew an arm around Peridot as they headed towards the small square nearing the end of the street. A couple of cars were parked there, an old van and a brand new SUV. Greg, Rose, Garnet and Dewey were in the van and waved as they walked by. Pearl stuck her head out of the SUV’s driver’s seat and winked.

“Hi Lappy, good to see you again.”

“Hi Porl, nice car.”

“Thanks.”

The three of them climbed in and Amethyst, from the passenger’s seat, winked at them too. Her face shone with pride at her girlfriend’s new ride.

“Yall ready for tonight’s party?”

“Yeah…” Jasper grinned. “I’m so glad we finally have drivers amongst us… it’s way more comfortable going to Di’s by car.”

“Jasper, please.” Amethyst grinned. “You’d go through boiling lava naked in order to get to Di.”

The cars took of just as they all started laughing at Jasper’s red face. She didn’t usually show much affection in public, but when it came to Di, they could see her heart melt right in front of them. It was cute.

“Oh well, wouldn’t we all.” Lapis smiled and closed her hand around Peridot’s. The small girl leaned her head on her shoulder and they both laughed, happy to be on summer vacation, happy to be away from work, happy to be together.

“Put on some tunes, P.” Amethyst muttered. “Or I’ll fall asleep.”

“It’s a twenty-minute drive…” Pearl laughed. “Do we have to?”

“Yes.”

The tall girl smiled, turning on the radio and in a few minutes everyone was singing along, their spirits lifted. Pearl and Greg drove alongside the coast road and the view was lovely as well, so that helped them get into their vacation mood. After a short drive, they arrived at the village near Di’s mansion and parked their cars at a local spot, as it was closer to the beach. A tall tan girl was waiting for them at the boardwalk.

“Di!” Jasper hurried towards her and the whole gang smiled as she lifted her girlfriend up and kissed her passionately. Sometimes even the big girl got a little out of control.

“Wow, okay.” Pearl raised an eyebrow and Amethyst poked her in the ribs.

“You know you’d do the same.” She smiled.

Di walked towards the others, beaming.

“Long time no see!” She exclaimed. “Do you want to leave your stuff at my house first or do you want to swim?”

Garnet moved forward, adjusting her sunglasses on her nose.

“I say we leave our things at the house first… then we can have an early supper at the beach and get the fireworks.”

“Okay.” Di moved towards them. “But I already ordered fireworks and they’re at the house.”

“Holy shit.”

The gang moved back towards the cars laughing, and drove up towards Di’s mansion. That night was going to be awesome.

 

                                              *             *              *

Lapis sighed as Peridot kissed her bare chest and lay down next to her, nuzzling in her neck. She smiled, stroking the small girl’s hair and pulled the covers around them.

“I wonder what the others are doing.” She muttered, staring at the afternoon light that shone in through the window.

“Probably this.” Peridot sniggered and Lapis pinned her down, grinning.

“Define _this_ …”

“You know…”

Lapis laughed and kissed the small girl, making her tremble. She was about to move down to her neck when they heard a knock on the door.

“Time to go to the beach!” Came Garnet’s voice.

“Cockblock.” Lapis hissed and Peridot went into fits of laughter. The two of them got up and got dressed quickly.

Watching the fireworks was fantastic and when Jasper and Garnet bravely tried to set their own off, everyone applauded. Di had bought some real magnificent ones. Amethyst of course goofed around with the small ones and even threw them into the sea, probably to provoke a large water explosion. But it just caused a light effect and a very soft “thud” sound, which was actually quite fascinating. After trying that a couple of times more, they sat down on the beach towels to enjoy the rest of the lights. They felt tired after that intense school year, but also relieved and happy.

“Sometimes life leads you to strange places.” Lapis said, absent-mindly and everyone chuckled.

“Indeed.” Jasper winked at her. “Who would have thought you’d end up with Peridot when I first came into the cafeteria to give you her number?”

Lapis smiled at the small girl, who was staring at the fireworks, glassy-eyed. She seemed fascinated by the show.

“I’m glad everything went this way.” She said, in a low voice. “I really am. I know I’m not perfect and I still have much to learn, especially when it comes to loving myself, but I feel like I’m on the right track now… thanks to you and Peri.”

“I’m happy to hear that.” Jasper smiled.

Peridot turned around and moved closer to them.

“What are you talking about?”

Lapis and Jasper grinned broadly.

“Stuff.”

“Whatever.” Peridot snuggled next to Lapis and the three of them sighed in peace.

“Well…” Lapis muttered. “Happy Fourth of July.”

 

**_The End_ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Up Next: Group Chat Special / Lapis' Dream
> 
>  
> 
> Main Tumblr: http://saranghaezz501.tumblr.com
> 
> Lapidot Tumblr: http://lapidot-rainbowquartz.tumblr.com
> 
> Pearl Meets World Tumblr: http://pearl-meets-world-su-fanfiction.tumblr.com

**Author's Note:**

> To be continued................


End file.
